Yeah, starting to get that chronic head-ache and buzzing in the ears I associate with the late stages of a close election. That makes three out of the last four presidential cycles. Haven’t really thought about it, but you have to go back to the late nineteenth-century to find a similar period of such frequent parity in presidential races.

Here’s what we’ve got in the way of late-day news and remainders:

* WaPo/ABC Tracking Poll showing sky-high (78-8) positive assessments of Obama’s handling of Sandy. Hard to believe that won’t matter unless perceptions change.

* Tea Party News Network site established just in time for Election Day. Will be interesting to see who feels need for news outlet more extreme than Breitbart, Free Beacon, Daily Caller and Fox.

* Iowa Republican officials join Texas counterparts in bizarre alarms over international observers of November 6 election.

* At Ten Miles Square, Jonathan Zasloff discusses potential challenge to Obama’s “legitimacy” if he wins electoral vote but not popular vote.

* At College Guide, Daniel Luzer reports Xavier University’s reversal of earlier decision to drop coverage of contraception in employees’ health insurance plans.

And in non-political news:

* Nate Cohn notes that weather models were remarkably accurate about Sandy.

So: another day, and presumably more people with the power–and their normal lives–back on. Let’s hope that by next Tuesday the only real drama is in politics.

Selah.

Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.