On election night there will be multiple stories. The Democrats win the House. The Democrats win the Senate (maybe). Tennessee elects Harold Ford to the U.S. Senate (maybe). Hillary Clinton wins big, but Eliot Spitzer does even better. Ned Lamont loses, and Geoerge Soros and Moveon.Org are reminded that culture counts. Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana emerges as a leading choice for House Minority Leader.

One more likely story is that Ohio keeps its title of the “new Florida” — the Purplest of the big states. In 2004 Ohio went Republican by just 2 percent (even with an anti-gay marriage referendum on the ballot), while Florida gave President Bush a 5 point margin.

Two years later, it looks like the Yale educated populist Democrat Sherrod Brown will handily beat incumbent U.S. Senator Mike DeWine, winning nearly 2 out of 5 Evangelical votes. And as Hillary Clinton knows (witness her jewelry choices and her membership in a congressional prayer group), midwest and northern Evangelicals, together with Latino Catholics, constitute America’s religious mainstream.

Do not expect a marriage referendum on Ohio’s 2008 ballot. Ohio will be where the action is on Election night 2008.

Have PoliticalMavens.com delivered to your inbox in a daily digest by clicking here