Demagogue

... Jean Jensen, who is secretary of the Virginia State Board of Elections. Yesterday, the Board officially certified Democrat James Webb as the winner of one of the closest U.S. Senate races in the country. Webb defeated Sen. George Allen by a margin of 9,329 votes.

Based on the final tally, 52.66 percent of the state's eligible voters cast ballots. That was much higher than in 2002, when 44 percent of Virginia's voters cast ballots for a Senate candidate, but it was far below the 65 percent turnout that had been predicted by Jean Jensen, the Board's secretary.

Given how public officials routinely offer excuses or spin to cover their asses, I have to take my hat off to Jensen for the comments she made to a Washington Post reporter:

"[Turnout] was less than what I thought. But I make lousy turnout predictions."