She deserves a new, full term of her own. The Observer endorses her candidacy over that of her Republican opponent, Wendy Long.

There is much to recommend about Ms. Gillibrand. She is absolutely tireless. She is a much-needed voice for upstate New York at a time when downstaters dominate top elected offices. She is the only woman who holds statewide office in New York. And in this bluest of blue states, she has managed to cross the aisle and keep open the lines of communication with her fellow New Yorkers who happen to be Republicans.

Most of all, Ms. Gillibrand has proven to be far more effective than many would have thought when Mr. Paterson promoted her to the Senate after slightly more than two years in the House. From her crucial vote that helped end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to her indefatigable work on behalf of 9/11 first responders, Ms. Gillibrand has shown leadership, courage and determination—qualities that are not always apparent in Washington these days.

She also understands that for New York and, indeed, the nation to move forward, politicians simply cannot get bogged down in ideological or partisan dogma. Effective politicians understand the importance of compromise, dialogue and negotiation.

As a senator, Ms. Gillibrand has avoided pointless partisan posturing, which helps to explain how she successfully argued in favor of increased federal spending to support the health-care needs of 9/11 emergency workers. That bill could easily have died on the Senate floor, but Ms. Gillibrand resuscitated it—a testament to her ability to bring her colleagues together, which is a quality that is becoming all too rare on Capitol Hill.

The senator’s instinct for consensus no doubt can be attributed to geography—she is a Democrat who represented a solidly Republican congressional district that includes parts of the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. She knows what it’s like to deal with members of the opposing party on a daily basis, and unlike so many on Capitol Hill who seem to live in an echo chamber, she understands that those who disagree with her are actual human beings, not mere abstractions.

Regrettably for the voters of New York, Ms. Gillibrand’s views and style are not exactly undergoing close scrutiny this year. And her apparently inevitable re-election may have made her just a little too comfortable. New York voters deserved a more vigorous contest in this Senate race. But the challenges of fund-raising and the Republican Party’s general lethargy in New York have combined to produce a less-than-memorable contest.

Ms. Gillibrand and her opponent, Ms. Long, met recently for their only face-to-face debate, and Ms. Long proved that she could have been a contender, had she been given greater support from local and national Republicans. While Ms. Long’s views on cultural and social issues are too conservative for most New Yorkers, her laser-like focus on economic issues and on Albany’s culture of corruption had Ms. Gillibrand on the defensive at several points. If the senator has further national ambitions—and, frankly, what Senator doesn’t?—she will need to step up her game in the coming years.

At the age of 45, Senator Gillibrand could easily serve for another two decades, given how hard it is to dislodge incumbents, especially Democratic incumbents in New York. That means there’s a very good chance that she will still be on Capitol Hill (or perhaps some other lofty office) in 2032.

What we need to hear from Ms. Gillibrand, not only in the next week but in the coming few years, is a vision for what promises to be a long tenure in the Senate. While her emphasis on retail campaigning and pothole politics is understandable at this stage of her Senate career (her colleague Senator Schumer is a master of both), New Yorkers are accustomed to U.S. senators with big ideas and global agendas.

In the 20th century alone, New York sent Robert Wagner, Herbert Lehman, Jacob Javits, Robert F. Kennedy and Daniel Patrick Moynihan to the U.S. Senate. These formidable politicians did not see themselves as glorified aldermen; they viewed their office as more than a distribution center for federal patronage.

New York senators made their mark by engaging large issues, writing landmark legislation and seeking solutions to systemic problems.

Frankly, New York needs that kind of intellectual engagement again. Yes, it’s important that the state’s senators fight for a fair share of federal spending. But New York expects and deserves more from them.

That will be Kirsten Gillibrand’s challenge over the next six years.

Justin Long in "Mitt's Office"

In addition to creating a viral movement based on Hope and targeted to younger voters, the 2008 elections also began a horrible trend: comedians and celebrities making "edgy" political comedy videos. Previously regulated to the cold openings on Saturday Night Live, suddenly everyone and their mother had a Sarah Palin impression. Sometimes it worked. Most of the time it didn't.

Now Justin Long is reminding us just why election season is so unfunny with a parody mash-up of Mitt Romney and The Office. It's way less funny than either of those things separately...and that's saying a lot.

Why is Justin Long in such old-man makeup? He makes Romney look like Ronald Reagan. Or is that the point: behind the terrible "you're fired" humor, is this actually a subtly brilliant satire of how Republicans all long for the Reagan years? Discuss!

Kreskin and Fallon (Lloyd Bishop/NBC)

On July 25, the “mentalist” the Amazing Kreskin announced on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon that he had come up with a prediction as to the Republican nominee for President in 2012 and the eventual victor. He had not done so, he told The Observer, by reading thoughts—as he does in the shows he performs in theaters—but instead by reading four newspapers daily (including the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Newark Star-Ledger—and meditating on trends he’d seen.

“I spent 28 hours thinking about it. You can ask my secretary! We didn’t even talk to each other.”

Kreskin (he has legally changed his name) had seen Mike Huckabee as the “best shot the Republican party had” before the former Arkansas governor dropped out. “I think his charisma, his integrity—I’ve done three shows with him, but that’s not why I’m saying this. I had an intuitive feeling that he would pull out. You can quote me as saying he pulled out for an idealistic reason: that he could do more as a broadcaster and a communicator.”

The mentalist is thus unenthused over the Republican field: “You’ve got two fine women and another man came up last night—every day it changes.”

Copies of Kreskin’s predictions have gone to former Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous host Robin Leach, New Jersey radio d.j. Jessie Frees, and the Italian restaurant Patsy’s. He plans to unveil the predictions after the election. “I don’t have some prophetic gift,” said Kreskin. “I can sense trends and moods.”

“The only thing we ever learn from history,” said Kreskin, “is that we never learn from history.”