Local Elections and National Politics

Most voters in New Jersey and Virginia said Barack Obama's performance was not a factor when they elected Republicans over Democrats to run their states. But the chattering class is still looking for signs of meaning. Will GOP wins make moderate Democrats in Congress think twice about the Obama agenda? Did Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck show conservative muscle in upstate New York or sabotage the Republican Party? What do results from Maine and Washington State reveal about efforts to legalize same-sex marriage?