ping
What we don't know is to what extent the loss is attributable to a) funding (or lack thereof, which I doubt since Palin nationalized the race); b) organization on Hoffman's part, or c) Hoffman himself (he seemed pretty dull). We can no longer "blame Bush," that's for sure, but it certainly isn't a maxim that merely by putting in a conservative you win. I think the maxim is, "A conservative will always be competitive." Whether that candidate has enough pull on non-social issues (esp. jobs and taxes) to convince the social libs is up in the air in future races.
Thanks for the ping!