So we keep the Senate but really lose the House. As I
wrote yesterday when the general outcome was becoming clear, the fundamentals of the state of politics has changed. Democrats no longer have complete control and frustrated voters got to vent their frustration. They have not granted the Republicans a mandate but a moment, a chance if you would, to offer some leadership in the widely-and-wildly despised Congress.
My immediate thoughts;
Congratulations and thank you Harry Reid for your hard-fought victory and your leadership. Now please step down as Majority Leader to make room for a fresher and less-hated face in the Senate to represent Democrats. Durbin or Schumer would work.
Congratulations and thank you Nancy Peloi for your easily-won victory and your leadership. Now please allow Steny Hoyer or someone else to step up as the Minority Leader in the House who isn't a third as maligned.
Fair or not, Reid and Pelosi would best serve Democrats in Congress by allowing others to lead. They have been the faces of the Democrats on Capital Hill, and while they have a lot of reasons to be proud they also have a lot of reasons to be humble.
Further-up the totem pole, as I have been saying for awhile despite my staunch opposition to her in 2007 and 2008, Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming President Obama's running mate have sky-rocketed. Joe Biden did his job; he provided foreign policy creds to the Democratic ticket, but that's no longer necessary. He's older now and less-effective. The Democratic ticket for POTUS in 2012 needs something fresh, exciting, and able to draw back disaffected voters(who as far as I can tell, were roughly the same kind of voters that Clinton won in the 2008 nomination process with exception to Hispanics). Clinton's popularity dwarves Biden's meager ratings, she'd provide excitement to the ticket(at a time when we are suffering from malaise), and let's face it; she'd be a strong campaigner.