One thing I haven’t heard in all the commentary on the Senate races this year: they reaffirmed the status quo. Not the apparent status quo that had the Senate under Democratic control through a couple of backhanded moves, but the status quo that prevailed the last time the Senate’s composition was decided by voters.
Remember that the 50-49-1 Democratic majority was the product of two extra-electoral moves, the appointment of Jean Carnahan and the defection of Jim Jeffords. The voters, after all, elected a 50-50 Senate and a tie-breaking Republican vice-president, but a couple of backroom deals by Democrats nullified the election. Now that the issue of the Senate’s makeup has been put directly to the voters, they’ve once again voted for Republican control, which will send Tom Daschle packing. Fox News even says he won’t run for re-election, which would be a real hoot.
That’s what happens to people who mess with our Democracy.