It was a good night for Democrats. Not only was President Obama reelected more convincingly than expected, but Democrats actually picked up seats in the U.S. Senate, when it was widely expected that could lose control of that house.
Of course, here in Wisconsin, the election of Tammy Baldwin was as historic and electrifying as it was unexpected as late as two months ago.
The Republicans did take back the state senate as expected, but it appears that the Democrats may hold ground in the Assembly.
But the question is will the Republicans join the president and the Senate majority in governing the country? And will the state Republicans who control everything in Wisconsin allow the minority to have a hand in governing?
The big picture on the Republicans is that they swallowed the tea party, and that tea is poisoned. We are rapidly becoming a more diverse nation, and demographics alone will overwhelm a party that is becoming even more white and conservative.
Will they become even more angry and intractable in the face of that change, or will they change themselves?