The WaPo said in their lead article:
Overall, 59 percent of voters surveyed in a news media consortium series of exit polls yesterday expressed dissatisfaction or anger with the Bush administration; 36 percent said they cast their vote to express opposition to Bush, compared with 22 percent who were voting to support him. Fifty-six percent of voters support withdrawing some or all U.S. troops from Iraq, which will embolden Democrats pushing for a pullout.
Corruption proved to be a more potent issue than it had appeared even weeks ago. After 12 years in control, the Republicans who took power with Gingrich promising to sweep out a calcified and ethically bankrupt Democratic leadership found themselves perceived as becoming what they had tried to expunge. Exit polls found 41 percent of voters rated corruption "extremely important" to their decision.
Yet somehow:
The complexion of the Democratic presence in Congress will change as well. Party politics will be shaped by the resurgence of "Blue Dog" Democrats, who come mainly from the South and from rural districts in the Midwest and often vote like Republicans. Top Democrats such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) see these middle-of-the-road lawmakers as the future of the party in a nation that leans slightly right of center [emphasis mine].
Whereas Billmon points out:
Maybe I'm missing something, but [...] the Republicans will have failed to capture a single Democratic seat in either the Senate or the House. A complete shut out, in other words.
I'm told this has never happened before in the modern history of American politics.
Spin that, President Shrub.
Update 2:08 AM ET: Jim Carville points out that the Dems didn't give up a single gubernatorial seat, either. So, three for three.
And ThinkProgress reports that this election was full of firsts:
– Nancy Pelosi will be the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives and the third highest official after president and vice-president. [Link]
– Pelosi will also be the first Italian-American elected as House Speaker.
– For the first time, three African-Americans — Charlie Rangel (D-NY), John Conyers (D-MI), and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) — are expected to serve simultaneously as House committee chairmen. [Link]
– Keith Ellison (D-MN), elected to the House yesterday, will become the first Muslim to serve in Congress. [Link]
– With Claire McCaskill’s (D) Senate victory in Missouri, a record number of women (
1516) will now serve in the U.S. Senate. [Link]– Governor-elect Deval Patrick (D-MA) became the first black governor elected in Massachussetts and the second African-American elected governor in the nation. [Link]
Further buttressed by Media Matters:
- South Dakota voters rejected a sweeping ban on abortion; California and Oregon rejected parental notification laws.
- Six states voted on initiatives to raise the minimum wage; all six passed.
- Missouri voters passed a ballot initiative in support of stem cell research.
Nope, definitely not a victory.
