A BIG WINNER: Taegan Goddard, who’s got a whole new market now.

BRIAN MALONEY DECLARES A “NO-SULK ZONE:” Of course, as he notes the election results will be good for conservative talk radio, which thrives in opposition.

MIKE PENCE:

Some will argue that we lost our majority because of scandals at home and challenges abroad. I say, we did not just lose our majority, we lost our way.

While the scandals of the 109th Congress harmed our cause, the greatest scandal in Washington, D.C. is runaway federal spending.

After 1994, we were a majority committed to balanced federal budgets, entitlement reform and advancing the principles of limited government. In recent years, our majority voted to expand the federal government’s role in education, entitlements and pursued spending policies that created record deficits and national debt.

This was not in the Contract with America and Republican voters said, ‘enough is enough.

Our opponents will say that the American people rejected our Republican vision. I say the American people didn’t quit on the Contract with America, we did. And in so doing, we severed the bonds of trust between our party and millions of our most ardent supporters.

As the 110th Congress convenes next year, Republicans must cordially accept defeat and dedicate ourselves to advancing our cause as the loyal opposition knowing that the only way to retake our natural, governing majority, is to renew our commitment to limited government, national defense, traditional values and reform.

In 2004, the advice to the Republicans was “Great election, kid. Don’t get cocky.” They did.

THE DAY AFTER: A roundup, from Pajamas Media.

“I, FOR ONE, welcome our new Democratic overlords.”

NICK SCHULZ VOTED ELECTRONICALLY YESTERDAY, and has some thoughts.

COMMENTS ON LAMONT/LIEBERMAN from Ron Silver.

ELECTION ANALYSIS from Christopher Hitchens. James Webb “may not be the Scoop Jackson that the Democrats need, but he’s the next best thing.” I think that’s right.

ARIZONA’S GAY MARRIAGE BAN seems to have been rejected by the voters. Good for them. Too bad it’s the only place where that happened.

MICHIGAN VOTES DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: “Michigan voters on Tuesday approved a ban on affirmative action at the state’s public colleges and in government contracting. The vote came despite opposition to the ban from most academic and business leaders in the state — and the history in which the University of Michigan played a key role in preserving the right of colleges to consider race as a factor in admissions.”

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT THERE, CAN YOU MAKE IT ANYWHERE? South Dakota’s abortion ban was rejected by the voters.

AN ENDANGERED SPECIES REBOUNDS: There will be a lot more Blue Dog Democrats, a formerly shrinking breed, in the new Congress.

A PREDICTION:

I wonder what will happen in the next two years… other than that lots of folks will run for President… and we’ll all look on and criticize. No one can possibly do that much in the new set up. The Democrats will be expected to do something — a new direction! — but what can they really do?

It’s likely to be gridlock, which is what I think a lot of voters wanted.

BLOGGING KNOXVILLE STATE REPRESENTATIVE Stacey Campfield won reelection handily despite a rather vigorous effort to unseat him, as his blogging upset the powers-that-be in both parties. All hail the power of the blog!

BOB CORKER WON, but it was closer than the polls suggested. This suggests that Mickey Kaus was right, and that Tennesseans were more embarrassed to tell pollsters that they were voting for a Democrat, as opposed to the conventional wisdom that people lie about their willingness to vote against a black candidate.

A.C. Kleinheider credits Ford with a gracious concession speech and notes that Ford ran a great campaign until his stumbles at the end. I have to agree. I suspect we’ll be hearing from Harold Ford, Jr. again.

DEMOCRATS HAVE THE HOUSE, with a gain of about two dozen seats, and look likely to take the Senate when all the counting is done.

Looks like my pre-mortem was merely a bit ahead of schedule. And I think that this defeat really was the result of a series of unnecessary Republican errors. The GOP leadership needs an overhaul, and I think it will get one.

The Democrats now have a chance to govern, not just carp, and how well they do over the next couple of years will have a lot to do with whether they have a shot at the White House in 2008. Perhaps getting back into power will also encourage a bit of responsibility. We’ll see. If nothing else, the bitterness that comes with losing, and being out of power, is likely to recede a bit. Republicans would be wise not to succumb to a similar bitterness, especially as this defeat could have been avoided if they’d stuck to their principles. Maybe they’ll pay more attention to libertarians, too.

BILL BRADLEY interviews Schwarzenegger strategist Matthew Dowd. Is Schwarzenegger a model for Republican success?

CHARGES OF VOTER INTIMIDATION IN CONNECTICUT, reported by Solomonia.

ELECTION LAW BLOGGER RICK HASEN looks at the prospects for a recount in Virginia.

GAY MARRIAGE BAN passes in Wisconsin.

A GOOD OBSERVATION:

Happy or suicidal with tonight’s results, something colossal and profoundly important has happened in the United States beginning in 2000 — the re-engagement of the American people with politics. We have had four enormously consequential elections in a row now in which voters have cast their ballots in numbers that we were told we’d never see in our lifetimes. I don’t see how you can view this as anything but a wondrous development for the United States.

Indeed.

JIM LINDGREN HAS BEEN CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS and projects a Webb victory — by 550 votes. He predicts: “A recount is almost certain.”

FOX REPORTS THAT THE WASHINGTON POST has withdrawn its projection of a Cardin victory. Fox is still projecting Cardin.

STEVE COHEN HAS WON Harold Ford Jr.’s old House seat, defeating Harold’s brother Jake who ran as an Independent after losing the primary.

TOM REYNOLDS (R-NY, NO RELATION) is projected to win.