They had the money, and they spent it lavishly. Of course, GOP led efforts in the Supreme Court have made it possible to pour money into elections, most of it "dark"- that is from sources un-trackable and un-reportable.
The halo affect. Tip O'Neill said that all politics are local. Not last night. All politics were national. 6 years of negativity about the President paid off. Every election was a test of Obama's popularity.
Promoted all GOP in the quest for a Wave Election so the GOP can claim a Mandate instead of a Close Call. Thus they won some seats in the House, Senate and Governor's Mansions that were close, and even some that favored the Dems.
Use the heaviest media campaign in midterm history to play to the folks who really hate Obama and Democrats and love slapping them down.
Utilize Dem reluctance to stand up for what they have done, and what they want to do.
Undermine the Dem meme that the GOP is a "do nothing" party with "no public plans regarding what they wll do" The Dems lacking the money to punch back in the media, and the will to do so were easly neutralized.
Count on one simple fact: Dems are lazy voters. They lack party discipline. The unions used to bring it but they are a sliver of what they once were. Further, vaunted "ground games" work in safe districts bt not in ones that are up for grabs. There is a saying: When All is Said and Done, a lot more gets said than done. The Dems are models for this.
Promote the message: "Don't bother voting." In fact that has been a very direct GOP media message. They have made it to Hispanics, to the unhappy middle class, to students, to Blacks- each with a pitch appealing to their points of complaint with the current administration.
Dems are not loyal/disciplined. Big spending on the other side reinforces why they should be unhappy. "What have the Dems done for you?" By implication, "we" will do better. Far left groups assist in this by their attacks on the Democrats, in the person of the president. Did you see the Hispanic protests and heckler at two Obama events this weekend? Yes, they will be FAR happier with a GOP Senate...yeah, right.
Count on another simple fact. Much of the base in both GOP and Dems are ignorant. They do not, as a body, know how government works. They do not know the candidates, party performance, issues, or strategies. They have impressions from ads, tv talking heads, and their friends. They have vague ideas from the same sources. They have their own internal biases. All of it comes down to a gut reaction which leads them to either vote or not vote, and if they vote, to vote "from the heart."
Repress, suppress the vote. Create a maze of requirements to exercise the franchise. Under-resource the voting apparatus in areas that lean Left. Launch a scare campaign targeting "fraud". Use state office holders to enure that these measures are not impeded.
This is 2010 Part 2. Perhaps the GOP will be better at government than I think. Perhaps the Dems will learn some valuable lessons from this shellacking. Perhaps both parties will find the common ground to govern for the the people.
Perhaps the people will come to realize that John Adams was right: "What is most essential to the integrity of a republic is that its citizens be well and truly informed." John Adams
I doubt it. I doubt it all.