As in 'when the going gets tough. . ." Are you chicken littles about done? What did you expect? It was a mid-term in the second term. Last night was about average for the party in the White House. No? Check out Reagan's Senate losses in '86. Meet me below, and you will feel better, soon.
1. Read this carefully NO MID TERM IS A WAVE ELECTION. EVER. Especially the mid-term in a second term. Reagan took a Senate beating and his VP won the next national election. Think of a Biden winning in 2016 and you see how much effect a mid term has on a National.
2. The GOP is renting the Senate for 2 years. (The security deposit was a bitch).
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
The only way they will hold in 2016 is if they become the best governing party, ever. As if. Even that won't work. The cards are stacked higher against the GOP in 2016 than they were against the Democratics in this election. Do not be surprised if the Senate goes Tea Party Dysfunctional -- big time -- in the next two years, vulnerable GOP Senators in all blue states jump ship. At least to Independent.
3. The fight between Cruz and The Turtle will be monumental. TC is convinced that he has just won a landslide mandate to run the Senate. The Turtle has nothing to fear for himself. So he will be unctuous and rambunctious. However everyone of those 23 GOPers up in '16 are thinking primary not general. And the Tea Bags and Cruz will have a candidate ready to go in each one they don't like. It will be a bloodbath.
4. Hillary will run, and it is the GOP worst nightmare. First, name a state Barack won that Hillary will not. Now, starting thinking of all the state she can win that the President had no chance. (LA, AR, WV, MO, yes even KY) Not only is the Senate a done deal for the Democratics, they can take back the house, too.
The demographic advantage that we know is there and getting bigger did not factor into this election because some Dem. Senate losers made the worst call of their political lives. (They were the ones who convinced the President not to pull the Immigrant trigger)
5. As for the next two years. Except for the Supreme Court and Federal Judges the loss of the Senate is marginal. The most likely outcome is gridlock, which will make the GOP look that much worse in 2016. The second likely is the Tea Baggers going on a (I am not a witch) Witch hunt, and everyone hating their guts that much more.
There are more reasons for patient optimism. But, as it was last night, the biggest enemy is not the Tea Bagger or the Bright Red Republican. It is the pin head so-called Progressive who throws a hissy fit every time they do not perfectly get their way. With friends like you. . .