Fox News’ Bret Baier was doing overtime with his regular Special Report panel last night/early this morning to analyze the incoming election returns, first among those the news that Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln squeaked out a win in a close run-off election with Lt. Governor Bill Halter. While there wasn’t much optimism for Lincoln’s chances in November, there was one thing the panel seemed to agree on: Bill Clinton’s still got it.

After barely slipping into a run-off with challenger Bill Halter, it is now being reported that Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln has the run-off vote with barely more than 50% of the vote.

Much like werewolves to a full moon, there’s just something about Election Day, no matter how local or predictable the results, that brings out the quirkiest in Chris Matthews. Tonight, Matthews railed against the run-off system that we saw in action in at least two state’s elections tonight. Why do we have run-offs, complained Matthews, when the only point to them was so southern Democrats could “make sure there was a white candidate”?

Conservatives have been taking a victory lap, of sorts, in honor of Rand Paul‘s win in Kentucky on Tuesday, and last night Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann appeared on Hannity to discuss the election results and the American people’s “clearly anti-big government, clearly anti-obama agenda” preferences.

With 41% of precincts in, MSNBC and CNN are reporting that Arkansas Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln is still leading her opponent, Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter, but not by enough to win decisively. As per Arkansas electoral law, it appears Lincoln will be forced into a run-off election against Halter for the nomination.

It’s Election Day in some of America but, sadly, not all of us are allowed to play. Feeling election fever but aren’t lucky enough to live in Pennsylvania, Oregon, Kentucky, or Arkansas? You don’t have to just watch Chris Matthews and John King have all the fun anymore– thanks to new media, you can now participate in local politics thousands of miles away not just by watching their wacky local commercials, but getting in on all the awesome free stuff, too!

Get it? Because her name is Blanche. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank delivers an impassioned Sunday column today, using a literary allusion and extended metaphor to describe the dealmaking that occurred yesterday in the Senate. It’s all very Southern — straight out of a Tennessee Williams play, he contends. It’s a perfectly frustrating and instructive Sunday read.

On Thursday, former President Bill Clinton was asked if he would attend the Little Rock C.A.R.E. free clinic today. Rather than simply begging off of the event with the usual non-answer boilerplate about scheduling conflicts, he decided to slam Keith Olbermann for “politicizing” the event, saying Olbermann was “not helpful.” While it’s tempting to applaud President Clinton’s courage in standing up to Olbermann, I’m going to pass.