Yes, Burd, I agree.  While I dislike Schumer personally, his capabilities and instincts serve as a modern party leader immeasurably better than the bumbling fecklessness of Reid or Durbin.

While the results show a clear rebuke of Obama, the discontent is not as sweepingly surprising as the chattering class would have considering unemployment hovers at 10%.  What is lost in this furor is that on a macro level, the house races showed a normalizing process, with McCain/Bush districts controlled by Democrats turning red (where Dems should really be worried is in Ohio and, to a lesser extent, Pennsylvania.)  Viewing the elections from this context reveals Democrats’ biggest loss.  Despite Obama’s margin in 2008, the House districts revealed an uneven advantage to Republicans.  With the Governor and state legislature dominance of Republicans last night (which is the real surprise story), this disparity in demographic equality will not only sustain, but also enhance with the redistricting following the census.  Left money should coalesce around direct democracy bids for honest bi-partisan reapportionment initiatives in future elections, especially as the demographics continue to grow in their favor.   Despite its vulnerability to loopholes due to vagueness, this tack worked here in Florida despite one of the larger “Republican waves” in a purple state.  The amendments garnered 63% in a toxic environment, revealing their inherent viability.

As for "what this means for Washington?!?," I remain very encouraged and steadfast that this is good for Obama for a number of reasons.  First of all, the Democratic leadership in Congress desperately needed a shakeup, and this slaughter will both convince and lend the administration credence to the argument of abandoning deference to the legislature.  Secondly, in the eyes of the voters, the Republicans now "own it" in Washington just as much as the Democrats, and they have no one to blame but themselves that they only have two years to produce results.  Third, I remain bullish on the economy recovering in the next two years which, whether earned or not, will be credited to Obama (and the Republican Congress.)  And, fourth, this victory emboldens the tea party crowd.  The Republican primary will start by March, and Palin's moment with Geraldine Ferraro on Fox News last night was the strongest evidence I've seen that, in her heart, she wants to run.  The worst possible thing to happen to the GOP would be Palin winning the Republican primary.  Interestingly, the best possible thing would not be her not running, but her running and losing the primary, which may effectively tame the crazies, but I digress.  A Palin nomination could incapacitate the Republican brand in the Northeast and West for a generation.  Regardless, an empowered Tea Party influence in office and on display to the American people is a very good thing for the left.


Last Edited By: DMC 11/03/10 5:29 AM. Edited 2 times.