Anybody remember how ecstatic we were to have 59 Senators a year ago?

[Recursion]

And how it signaled the death of the Republican party forever?

Man, those were the days.

[Egnever]

1. Still happy we have the "majority"

However with the republican position of block everything no matter what we can no longer accomplish anything of substance. Hell we couldnt even do it with 60. Of course it was a very weak 60 to begin with.

Health care is now done unless they change the senate rules.

[FBaggins]

2. It isn't just the number

It's what the race supposedly says about the larger electorate.

We were ecstatic with 59 and 60 not just because it theoretically allowed us to push out agenda... but because the REASON we had those majorities was that the PEOPLE agreed with us... and THAT allowed us to push our agenda.

This race doesn't change the political math much, but it's an earthquake shaking the foundation of our assumptions that we won last year because people agreed with us.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Waited 245 days for Franken to be seated. n/t

[FBaggins]

6. Oh yeah... that's the same thing.

< /sarcasm>

Because 100k+ vote gap is really the same thing as a race where your oppenent was leading after the first count.

[notesdev]

4. It's the trend that should worry people

Virginia Nov. 2008 -> Nov. 2009, 30 point shift away from Democrats to Republicans.
Massachusetts Nov. 2008 -> Jan. 2010, 31 point shift away from Democrats to Republicans.

A huge chunk of the electorate in both cases, and in two very different states, abandoned the party - and not only abandoned, but also saw fit to pull the opposition lever.

People are desperately seeking someone who will deliver them something other than corruption, arrogance, and lies.

Which party will deliver?

[Recursion]

5. It gets back to my rant about independents: they're not the same as moderates

They don't care whether we have a Reagan or an FDR, they want somebody who will stop screwing around and get shit done one way or the other.

For that matter, a fully implemented conservative program, while much worse than a fully implemented liberal program, would be better than the half-measure compromises we have now.

[FBaggins]

8. NJ too.

All three have potential alternative explanations for the shift... but all three together make each one that much harder to swallow.

[uponit7771]

7. If we get rid of Harry Reid we'd be in the clear

[FBaggins]

9. Give it a few months.

That problem is taking care of itself.

Now... whether or not that's a good thing is yet to be seen.

[unblock]

10. yeah, but we had big MO then!

apparently direction matters more than actual votes.