A couple of weeks ago, I argued that this election was going to cause more polarization, because you'd have a lot of incredibly conservative Republicans getting elected and a lot of moderate-to-conservative Democrats losing. Lo and behold, that's what happened. In particular, the Blue Dogs who have made life so miserable for the Democratic leadership were pretty much decimated:
According to an analysis by The Huffington Post, 23 of the 46 Blue Dogs up for re-election went down on Tuesday. Notable losses included Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-S.D.), the coalition's co-chair for administration, and Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), the co-chair for policy. Two members were running for higher office (both lost), three were retiring and three races were still too close to call.
Nevertheless, I think it would be a mistake to conclude that the strategy employed by many Blue Dogs of running against the Democratic Party was what caused their defeat. The fact is that if you were running in a Republican district, as most Blue Dogs were, you probably lost. You lost if you were a proud Democrat, and you lost if you ran away from the Democrats. It was inevitable that if there was a Republican wave, those in marginal districts would be hit first. But it does mean that the House Democratic caucus will be easier for Nancy Pelosi -- or whoever the minority leader is -- to control.
One other note. As you wallow in your despair this morning, consider what Stephen Colbert said last night: "The important thing for every American to remember whether you are happy or depressed by tonight's results is, this is how it will be forever. ... It will be the last time anyone has a chance to affect the composition of our government."
-- Paul Waldman