Who would control the Senate?

[Takket]

I follow this site to see where the polls are (yeah I know it is run by a Republican. I prefer it that way since I feel like I'm looking at a "worst case scenario&quot

http://www.electionprojection.com/2014-elections/2014-senate-elections.php

Right now the polls are showing 50 Rs, 48 Ds and 2 Is.

If that actually happened, who runs the Senate? I remember hearing the 2 Is (One is sanders, don't know who the other one is) "caucus" with the democrats and are essentially considered democrats. So if it is really 50/50 with Biden the tiebreaker, the democrats still technically are the majority party of the Senate, right? or do the republicans become the majority because they have 50 seats to 48?

[former9thward]

1. Control of the Senate is determined by the vote for a Senate majority leader.

In your scenario the vote for Reid would be 50-50 and Joe Biden would cast the tiebreaker making it 51-50. The Democrats would control. That being said the Senate committees would change quite a bit. Republicans would get nearly 50% of members on a committee and much more influence.

[FBaggins]

6. That's not necessarily the case.

The first part is, of course, correct... but the majority decides committee balance. They don't have to return to previous "almost tie" compromises.

OTOH, you never know when one side or the other will convince someone to switch sides.

[former9thward]

9. Traditionally that has been done.

The Senate prides itself, for better or worse, on tradition. Rare that they stray from that.

[hollysmom]

2. and no one better be sick or tried in court.

[russ1943]

3. Angus King

That other independent represents Maine. The Hill points out he may even join Collins as a Repub.
King may flip to GOP in 2015
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/203161-king-may-flip-to-gop-in-2015

We're looking at serious problems.

[yeoman6987]

4. That does seem very principled

especially since he is waiting until after the election to see who wins. So if we have a 50/50 tie, he is going to go for the party that gives the best bennies. Great......Ugh!

[BlueDemKev]

5. Just like Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman...

...Angus King would have Senate Democrats over a barrel. Geez...

[Takket]

8. oh... this does not please me

[FBaggins]

7. A better site for tracking the predictions

http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/senate-model/comparisons.html

Or if you want to run your own Monte Carlo experiment (using NYTs odds - which are a version of Nate Silver's methodology)... then try:

http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/senate-model/