Election Night Takeaways

This wasn't just a bad night for Democrats. This was a downright drubbing.

So, what happened?

All Politics Is National: Democrats believed they could help isolate and insulate their vulnerable Democrats from an unpopular president by making each contest about the individual candidates. Democrats hoped that the tainted GOP brand combined with incumbent candidates with solid political pedigrees who "knew their states" could prevail over the country's pessimistic mood. It didn't work.

Elections Are Always a Referendum on the President: Yes, we have three branches of government. But, most American voters only know one of them. And, how they feel about the Executive branch drives their vote. Period. And, when the President's approval rating is sitting at 42 percent (or less in many of these states), the party of the president loses.

The Obama Coalition Does Not Work At The Congressional Level: The national House exit poll found an electorate that was older, whiter, and wealthier than those who turned out to vote in 2012. Even in states where Democrats put a serious effort to change the composite of the