2010 Elections

John Boehner’s favorite line during the election campaign was that he’s not Nancy Pelosi. That was hardly breaking news. What’s meaningful now, with Boehner soon to become House speaker, is that he’s not Newt Gingrich or Tom DeLay either.

Politico reports:

THE WEEKLY STANDARD was already in good cheer after Tuesday’s election. But then came the news at the end of the week, as the magazine went to press, that Nancy Pelosi has decided to try to retain her position as the top House Democrat, and will stand for House minority leader in January.

Steve Hayes, with Juan Williams, Mara Liasson, and Charles Krauthammer, on Fox News last night:

Fred Barnes writes in today's Wall Street Journal:

One of the most important results of Tuesday's election occurred below the governor, Senate, and House lines on the ballot. The Republicans overwhelmed the Democrats in state legislative races all across the country, picking up more than 500 seats and flipping a dozen and a half legislative chambers.

Democratic pollster Pat Caddell just finished providing a remarkable rebuttal on Fox News to President Obama's assertion in his post-election press conference that, "[T]here is no doubt that people's number-one concern is the economy, and what they were expressing great frustration about [in yesterday's midterms] is the fact that we haven't made enough progress on the economy."

I think it's worth mentioning that, in a federal election of some historic significance, foreign and defense policy played a relatively small role.

The last time the Republicans gained this many seats in the House while also regaining control of the chamber was in the 19th century. Moreover, at President Obama's press conference following this historic repudiation of him and his party by the American voters, the first three questions offered a striking indication of how little the press corps is now buying into President Obama or his explanations of events:

1. Nancy Pelosi will presumably step down as Democratic leader in the House. Steny Hoyer could be challenged from the left as he seeks to move up to replace her, and he could lose--partly because the defeat of Democrats in swing districts throughout the country yesterday will move the House Democratic caucus to the left.