The Wall Street Journal notes that this is the third consecutive "change" election in a row:
Voters this week look set to do something not seen since the early 1950s: Oust a substantial number of sitting House lawmakers for the third election in a row.
The apparent Republican resurgence suggests the country is caught in a cycle of political volatility witnessed only four times in the past century, almost all during war or economic unease.
James Joyner made a similar point today, and it's worth repeating: "We’ve had three consecutive 'change' elections because things simply aren’t going so well and the voters are frustrated." Americans aren't particularly ideological, and they aren't particularly informed, but they do have a sense of how they're doing, and most feel that things are pretty terrible right now. That, more than anything else, is driving this election. And that, more than anything else, will drive the next election if nothing changes for the better.
-- Jamelle Bouie
