I’m not sure what to think about today. I agree with you that declaring what happened in NY-23 as an unqualified victory for conservatives is either spin or self-delusion, neither of which is helpful. As good as beating Scozzafava was, today is not a good day for conservatives. Overall, this whole episode was probably a wash - an empty victory. You don’t run in elections to come in second. It’s as simple as that.
On the other hand, I think the Republican wins in Virginia and New Jersey are huge, and the speed with which the Obama camp is trying to downplay it speaks volumes. This is a big shot across Obama’s bow, and will probably have some serious repercussions in Washington. Also, at least as far as the voting public is concerned, this news overshadows the NY-23 election.
In the end, I’d say today was a loss for Obama, but not a win for conservatives. A win for Hoffman would have put conservatives in a very strong position. His loss means the fight for the soul of the GOP is alive and well, and certainly won’t be resolved before the 2010 elections. This could get ugly.
I agree with that.