I am all smiles now. I actually worried a bit, despite Nate Silver's superb prognostication, but now we know that Obama and his team had it well in hand. What's next?
Let us leave a few more days for that warm glow to dissapate as we watch the Republicans maneuver into a circular firing squad and start shooting. Soon, however, we should start to plan for the next election, setting our goals for what we can achieve.
1) There are still too many Republicans in the Senate. Harry Reid has talked about filibuster reform, but there will surely remain a few ways for the red team to obstruct the process until Democrats have a super majority. Six seats should do it -- who is up for reelection in two years?
2) There are a number of Republican governors who need to be shown the door. States like Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio leap into mind. There are more, all in swing states who went for Obama, all with superb campaign teams who can take up this new task. Democrats seem to have a deep bench these days. Good candidates need some early inspiration.
3) At last count, we gained nine seats in the house but lack twenty+ to regain control. With the presidency not at issue, more effort can be put into house races. Good candidates and good organizations can make the difference.
4) State level Senate and Assembly seats will be a tougher nut to crack until demographics gives us a chance to nutralize the reapportionment cramp. Still, any vulnerable seats are worth the effort to take them.
In these goals, our best allies are the Republicans themselves. Almost all of them are delusionary and live in a realm of pure fantasy. Those with clearer vision who see their party's weaknesses with minorities and women are already being denounced as not being true believers. The extreme right wing, which has slowly been rubbing out the moderates, actually think it is better "to lose right than win wrong." Let us help them to gain their preference.
The Republicans seem totally incapable of realizing that they have lousy candidates and a message which is unsellable. Usually they have tried to hide it, but no longer. They believe that candidate and agenda problems are solved by packaging -- put enough frosting on a brick and the public would eat it. I say we make a generous donation of frosting.
The voters in California just shoved the state Republican party off the end of the world. There are Democratic super majorities in both houses, and all the Republicans can do now is to leave nasty graphiti on the lavatory walls. On the national level, I believe that the inertia, the teamwork, the superb leadership are all on our side to accomplish the same.
Let us not let down.