"We know it can be hard to talk about race, especially when you are white," the solicitation reads. "MTV is trying something different, a documentary exploring the ideas, experiences and attitudes of young, white Americans around race. We think its [sic] time to think."

If you're not a political journalist, the chances are very good that you've never heard of Ron Fournier, the Thomas Friedman of Helen Thomases. Fournier is one of the most-revered of wizened white-guy oracles known collectively as Beltway Types. Today, he wrote the Magna Carta of Beltway columns. Here's how.

Terror and death can strike anyone at any time. That's the lesson for Winter Haven, Florida, middle school students, parents and teachers, who were treated to a very special episode of terror last week after the local police staged a mass shooting drill on the school grounds without warning anyone beforehand.

Spurred on by a Tennessee resident who is concerned about the Ferguson protesters and their catchy chants, supporters of police officer Darren Wilson have donated more than enough money to post a billboard in the heart of the St. Louis suburb reading "#PantsUPDontLoot."

First, the good news: After years of being really, really, really bad at Internet, the Republicans may have finally figured out how to use the web smartly. The bad news: They did it, predictably, for evil and probably broke federal laws against coordination between campaigns and outside money groups.

Vladimir Putin is single again, and he was at this summit yesterday sitting next to the Chinese premier's wife. The bureaucrat behind that seating arrangement is probably already in a concrete cell eating a Makarov sandwich, seeing how Putin tried to convince the first lady that Russian bears need cuddling, too.

If congressional Republicans can win over the same electorate that voted for Barack Obama twice, then maybe one of Montana's most notorious white supremacists can drum up interest in his plan for a kindler, gentler Ku Klux Klan that welcomes minorities, Jews, and gays.

A Republican caller to C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" program warned his fellow GOPers not to get too extreme in the wake of their electoral victories Tuesday—which, he added, were all "about race" because "Republicans hate that nigger Obama."

You may not know or remember the earlier exploits of Lt. Gordon "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt (USN-Ret.), the new state representative for evangelical wackadoo-heavy Colorado Springs. But let us remind you, because he's probably the most insane of nutso politicians elected last night.

"A voter gestures as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) votes in the midterm elections at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky," the Getty Images caption reads. That's... accurate as far as it goes. Happy Election Day, Mitch.

In the leadup to today's votepocalypse, I've been pretty harsh to Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), a terrible campaigner who's blown a pretty sure thing in his limp, cynical reelection campaign. But one reader wrote to me with a counterpoint——one strong enough that it's worth publishing here.

Earlier this morning, we invited readers to tell us about their Election Day experiences, and one commenter offered a glimpse at the ballot above. Seriously, Captain Jack Sparrow is running for Hennepin, Minnesota, County Commission today. Seriously.

With a nod to his "Turn Out For What" Rock the Vote campaign, rapper Lil Jon complained this morning on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram that he was forced to board an early flight from L.A. to Georgia to vote in person in today's election after he never received a requested absentee ballot.

Who and what did you end up voting for? Have any hassles at the polls? Clashes between armed patriots and New Black Panthers? Sick to death about these godawful choices? Give us your experiences/thoughts/photos, from ranty picks to newsworthy voting irregularities.

Voting sucks. Off-year voting sucks the worst. Like Valentine's, Election Day 2014 seems less a heartfelt chance to express preferences than a mandate to give one's limited purchasing options a whiff of will and legitimacy. You can be forgiven for apathy. But you still must make some choices. Here's some info to help.

Democratic Colorado Sen. Mark Udall's tenuous chance at reelection took a hard blow Sunday after he was cussed out in the middle of a public stump speech by one of his own ultra-wealthy donors because, in the donor's words, "fucking abortion is all he talks about."

The U.S. Navy has a three-star admiral in charge of all its intelligence-gathering and analysis efforts. But for a year, he has been barred by officials from viewing any secret intelligence, essentially making his job moot and leaving the service dead in the water when it comes to gathering critical information.

At least two electronic voting machines in a North Carolina county have been taken out of service after early voters reported that the machines repeatedly registered their Democratic choices as Republican votes in Sen. Kay Hagan's contentious reelection bid.

Blockbuster director Michael Bay will bring his considerable knowledge of international affairs, Libyan political dynamics, extremist ideology, real-life narrative, and pyrotechnics to a political dramatic thriller about the 2012 attacks in Benghazi.

Who is the proverbial 1 percent when it comes to elections in America? This year, it's maybe a tiny swath of rural conservative voters.