The volatile Senate races

U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin addresses a news conference in August. Akin, 65, has defied widespread calls to step aside after he said women's bodies have natural defences against pregnancy from "legitimate rape." (Sarah Conard/REUTERS)

The presidential candidates may be cool as cucumbers, but Senate candidates are foaming at the mouth.

The New Yorker writes why the fight for Senate is anyone's call and why the stakes are so high.

Democrats and Repubilcans are fighting tooth and nail to win both chambers of Congress, without which it becomes difficult, if not near impossible, to pass legislation.

"The Presidential race does not give off much of a feeling of high stakes; that race involves two cautious, cerebral, poll-tested, heavily produced candidates who cling to message and go negative with scripts vetted by focus groups of swing voters. Some of the Senate races, in contrast, look like Three Stooges punch-ups."

"...this fall’s Senate races are turning out to be wild, often entertaining, and engorged by Super PAC spending."

And yes, Todd "legitimate rape" Akin is runing for Senate and, according to polls, is more or less tied with Democrat Senator Claire McCaskill.