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Explaining away the performance gap between American public school students and the rest of the world is almost its own industry. Regardless of the measure, the taxpayer propped up education establishment has more excuses than your average high school kid coming in after curfew. Unfortunately for the defenders of the status quo, the data continues to expose the truth.

Most American children are being left behind.

In a fascinating article in December’s The Atlantic, several economists compared American students by state with students from other countries, side by side. The results make one want to send the teachers unions to the principal’s office (except they’re in on it, too).

According to the study, when it comes to comparing student proficiency in math, the only colony to even be able to sniff the Top 10 is Massachusetts, coming in at number 17. Virginia is farther down the list, sandwiched between those academic powerhouses Norway and Ireland.

But that’s ok, because according to polling done last year at this time, a majority of Virginians “feel” that Virginia’s public schools are doing a good or excellent job. Which they are. Compared to say, Lithuania. Or Iowa.

It is likely that this study, too, will be dismissed by the nation’s education class. After all, one of the authors of the study, using science, has concluded that “more money does not tend to lead to better results; small class sizes do not tend to improve learning.”

Next thing you know he’ll start telling us that parents know better about how and where their kids should be educated.

In the meantime, there will no doubt be continued demands for more money to be poured into education system so we can “keep up with the rest of the world” and “compete in the global economy.”

And get reelected.

Tell us what you think the final tally will be when all the votes are tallied up on November 2 (or beyond). Which of the following scenarios most closely matches your prediction of the final results nationally in the mid-term election. We invite you to get real specific and expand on your predictions in our comments section. Let us know who will win in what states and what races you are keeping a special eye on.

All signs are pointing to a large Republican victory on November 2. But how large? Will Virginia play a role? It’s prediction time. Tell us how many of Virginia’s six seats held by Democrats will flip to the GOP column in this mid-term election. Then, please post your comments on the campaigns and which specific candidates you think will win. Will there be a surprising upset? Will the close elections break one way or the other? Will Morgan Griffith, Keith Fimian, Robert Hurt and Scott Rigell sweep? Will Patrick Murray or Chuck Smithpull shockers? Who will win the biggest and who will squeak by? Any recounts? Give us percentages and predictions of all types. We ask. You tell us.

Find $1.45 billion laying around your local VDOT recently? Kind of puts in question those “Best Managed State” awards Tim Kaine and Mark Warner loved to brag about.

Which got me thinking: Who did worse? Tim Kaine in mismanaging VDOT and letting nearly $1.5 billion languish in various accounts while trying to raise our taxes (against his own campaign promise) “for transportation needs”? Or, Mark Warner, who also violated his no-tax pledge when he grossly underestimated general fund revenue, saying we couldn’t pay teachers, police and firefighters unless we raised taxes, only to find a huge surplus weeks after signing the tax increase bill? Or, back to Mr. Kaine, who overestimated general fund revenue during a recession, despite advice to the contrary, so that when revenue fell short, he could kick and scream for a tax increase to fund his new programs?

We ask. You decide.

In his thumping of Creigh Deeds Tuesday night, Bob McDonnell nearly garnered as many votes as . . .

Marriage.

Yup, that’s right. McDonnell’s 1,160,365 votes (as of this posting) fell just 168,172 short of the 2006 marriage amendment. That proposal received 1,328,537 supporters. Talk about a “bipartisan,” “center,” “mainstream” vote, marriage is the model. 

We also found some interesting tidbits from Tuesday’s exit polling (yes, I know, exit polling . . . but it makes for good fodder).

According to exit polling from CNN, 34 percent of those voting identified themselves as “Evangelical/Born Again” and, of that block, a whopping 83 percent cast their vote for Mr. McDonnell. Now, if you run the numbers that equates to nearly half of all voters that cast their ballot for McDonnell were of the “Evangelical/Born Again” group. (To our liberal friends, breath, breath . . . there you go, breath. It’ll be ok. Breath . . . .)

So, as all the pundits, experts, campaign consultants, etc. inform us that the campaign Mr. McDonnell ran is the “model” for future GOP candidates, lets all remember that the “model” only works if “the base” is motivated. Otherwise, well, see John McCain. And Jerry Kilgore. And . . . well, you get the idea.

So, the votes are cast and the election is over. Already, media pundits are talking about what it means. In today’s Washington Post, I am quoted concerning the expectations pro-family Virginians have for Governor-elect Bob McDonnell. Now it’s your turn. What do you expect? Vote and leave us your thoughts.

As Virginia’s statewide campaign winds down, it’s a time for reflection . . . what’s been your favorite gaffe moment? There are many, to be sure. But we took the painstaking task of narrowing it down to seven. Creigh Deeds and Jody Wagner star in three each. All but one are below in video or audio form, and there’s a link to our original report for the other. If you need a refresher, feel free to review them again — or watch/listen/read them again for old times sake and a good laugh. Or, if they are burned indelibly into your mind, vote straightaway. If you have another nominee, feel free to cast a write-in vote in our comments section. However, as tempting as it is, votes for the Deeds, Wagner or Shannon campaigns as a whole are not allowed. It’s just not fair. Feel free to forward or share this link (especially to undecided voters).

The Deeds Dodge on taxes.

Marriage should be between a man and a woman except you shouldn’t discriminate against same-sex couples.

I feel strongly both ways on the public option.

Steve Shannon’s “Jeopardy!” moment. Where’s Alex to make him answer?

Jody Wagner will have a lot of time to spend looking for the Lt. Governor’s Mansion.

AUDIO CLIP (8:34): Jody Wagner’s Rambling “Let’s Be Clear” Interview With WRVA’s Jimmy Barrett (click here).

BLOG POST: Jody Wagner Sticking With A VEA Accusation Against Bill Bolling That Even The VEA Retracted And Apologized For (read here).

No, those aren’t the words of a Creigh Deeds/Jody Wagner/Steve Shannon staffer. They are the words of Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards (daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards and former staffer for Nancy Pelosi) in an e-mail she sent to her followers yesterday concerning the debate surrounding abortion and “health care.”

In the e-mail intended to frighten her following in to action she states, ”Make no mistake — Planned Parenthood has been working with legislators day and night. But when it comes to hearing from regular people, the contact with voters that matters most to members of Congress, we’re getting out-hustled, outnumbered and just plan drowned out.”

Now, ignoring the fact that Ms. Richards just referred to pro-life Americans as “regular people,” something she may lose her job over, and taking her at her word, it would appear that us “regular people” are being heard on Capitol Hill. To enflame her followers a little more, she restorts to the typcial misinformation about what is actually happening, but perhaps — just perhaps — she has a moment of honesty and admits that pro-life Americans are winning the battle!

This comes as a new survey by Pew Research finds that more Americans are becoming pro-life.  

Polls conducted in 2009 have found fewer Americans expressing support for abortion than in previous years. According to Pew, “In Pew Research Center polls in 2007 and 2008, supporters of legal abortion clearly outnumbered opponents; now Americans are evenly divided on the question, and there have been modest increases in the numbers who favor reducing abortions or making them harder to obtain. Less support for abortion is evident among most demographic and political groups.”

The good news just keeps coming!

It’s official. We now have, thanks to Minnesota courts — which, similar to Iran’s government, refused to investigate that there were more votes than voters in certain precincts — a “comedian” U.S. Senator in the person of know-nothing, erratic, hyper-liberal, Al Franken. Losing to a clown like Franken must be pretty embarrassing to former incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. After all, he was a successful mayor of St. Paul and a distinguished senator.

It got me thinking, for the fun of it, this question:

These three jump out at us. Add your own answer and comment on any other U.S. Senate election result, or any campaign result you think is particularly embarrassing because of how, why or to whom the candidate lost.