People shouldn't be really surprised that Reid (D-NV) won --Nevada has been changing to Blue

[CreekDog]

85% of Nevada's vote last night was in the two counties home to Reno and Las Vegas.

Even if Republicans win the rural counties in Nevada by a 2-1 margin, Democrats still win Statewide with just a:

a 5.3% win in Clark County (Las Vegas Metro)

and a 3.5% win in Washoe County (Reno Metro)

Last night rural county vote in Nevada was only 90,000.

Of the 705,000 votes in Nevada yesterday, Clark County (Las Vegas) had 465,000 and Washoe County (The Reno area) had 141,000.

These mostly urban areas total about 600,000 votes or 85% of the vote.

The demographic shifts occuring in Nevada (that began in California far earlier) along with the ideological shift of the Republican party are changing the political landscape.

And what we are seeing more and more is the competition between a white and predominantly rural/exurban party against a diverse and urban/suburban party. But the latter are overwhelmingly voting for Democrats in state after state and these areas and populations are growing.

It doesn't take the sting out of all that happened last night, but it is a reason to hope for the future. In state after state, we saw this dynamic and it propelled Bennett to a win in Colorado and almost helped Sestak win in PA. This is because the suburbs are now voting more along with their urbanized cores than with their rural counterparts.

Change.

Coming to a state near you. :D

[DrToast]

1. Lots of states that are turning blue or are blue got their asses kicked last night

Reid won because Angle was a disaster of a candidate.

[pstokely]

3. Because of voters that don't show up at midterms

Even Dems in normally safe Blue districts won by single digits like Russ Carnahan and Emmanuel Cleaver in MO. GOTV worked in CA, CO, and NV were there are diverse urban populations but seems to have failed in white areas like rural PA, IL, WI

[pstokely]

2. Brain drain might have hurt us in PA but might have helped in CO

Many college graduates moving to Denver, many moving out of rural PA. Tea Party appears to be a rural/exurban party that scares some suburban swing voters