We have been kneecapped.

[GreenStormCloud]

The losses in the Senate and of the House itself are just the tip of the iceberg.

The rethugs gained six governors.

We lost 680 state legislative seats. There are 7,382 total. The rethugs now have a state legislative presence that they haven't had since 1928. They have unified control, meaning both state house and state senate in 26 states. I couldn't find how many states we have unified control in. I didn't want to take the time to google each state.

18 states are going to be reeappotioned. The Rs will control ten, maybe 12 of those. Can you say gerrymander?


19 state legislative chambers have flipped from D to R. None went the other way.

The North Carolina Legislature is Republican for the first time since 1870, Alabama since 1876.

The entire Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Michigan legislatures flips D to R. New Hampshire's recent gay marriage law is sure to be a target for repeal. They may have the strength to override the Democratic governor's veto.

The State Houses in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Montana, and Colorado flipped to the GOP

Maine and Minnesota Senates flipped to the GOP.

The all rethug government in Kansas has announce they will press for abortion limits.

All other states, except Delaware saw rethug gains. Only in Delaware have we made any net gains, one seat - maybe.

Even municipal level elections across the nation saw huge gains for the rethugs.

The 1994 disaster didn't reach that deeply down.

Even worse is that many of those newly elected rethugs are teabaggers. Nobody has firm statistics on how many are, but it is bound to be a lot of them.

That is devestating for the training of future Democratic Party leaders. Many Federal Representatives and Senators get their feet wet in the state legislative bodies first. Obama was a state senator first. That will mean fewer future rising Democratic stars to shine forth in our shrunked constellations.

I am a senior citizen, and I remember the landslides of '64 (ours), '72, '84, '94 and the upset of '02, and our gains in '06 & '08, but I have never seen anything like this.

I wish I could find something optomistic to say about this, but I just can't. It is like looking at a place after an F-5 tornado has gone through.

[librechik]

1. what you said. n/t

[RKP5637]

2. The best that can be said is it's currently very bleak. Changes must occur

over the next two years. The more we compromise the more we are F'ed.

[Dawson Leery]

3. k/r

[AlinPA]

4. Very good (but bad!) summary. I'm a senior too and cannot believe that so many

extreme right wing people were elected. Paul, Ayotte, Toomey, Rubio will change the Senate drastically. Forget traditional senate civility. I don't think people realize how much power they have. They can shut down the Senate and the government with their "secret holds".

[caty]

5. Democrats are willing to

compromise. Republicans have already stated that they have a mandate now and will not compromise. The Tea Party has stated that they will not compromise with the Democrats or the Republicans. What we have now is a big mess. Nothing that will help the middle class will be accomplished during the next two years.

Congress

[Duer 157099]

6. Thank God I live in California

I swear, it's madness everywhere else, total complete unhinged madness.

I treasure my California Cocoon.

[JoePhilly]

7. This is what happens when Dems fail to take the long view ...

... and act "discouraged".

They don't know what "discouraged" means ... yet ... but ... it appears we are all about to learn.

Its sad. And I hope we can get past it ... but I'm not very optimistic.

[virgogal]

8. Give Hawaii some credit----it's bluer than Massachusetts.

[Locrian]

9. nice (ugly but nice) summary

This really drives it home. The R's are nothing if not world class at using the power they get to "fix" it for the future. We are f-ed.

[charlie]

10. Shellacked in Texas

The Lege went from roughly half-and-half to 2/3 Republican.

Their only hope now is keeping arch-conservatives from assuming the speakership.