MICHAEL BARONE: What Australia And Norway Have In Common. “Is there any common thread? I would suggest it’s the unpopularity of center-left policies which voters have had to live with. Australia’s Liberal party (it’s the center-right party) leader Tony Abbott promised to repeal the Labor government’s carbon tax. Norway’s Conservative party leader Ema Solberg has promised that her country needs more business-friendly policies in order to pay for its expensive welfare state. These center-right victories may hold lessons for American conservatives — and perhaps for American liberals as well. The latter might want to ponder whether they can continue to win if their policies prove unpopular in practice (Obamacare, anyone?).”

Related: Sean Trende on what Colorado’s recall results mean for Dems.