10:23 pm ET

Doug Sosnik is one of the smartest people in American politics. A Democrat, who worked for, among others, Bill Clinton, he is the rare partisan who is able to engage in dispassionate analysis about the two major parties and their candidates.

If you want a good a snapshot of where the race stands today — and why — read Sosnik’s analysis here and look at his PowerPoint slides here.

There’s also interesting quality stuff on the 2012 down ballot contests and the future beyond this November.

PS: I’m sure there will be some, including maybe some Republicans, who take issue with parts of Sosnik’s analysis. I look forward to seeing what they have to say, and posting their points as warranted.