I think Lieberman's third party win shows that this was less a referendum on the war and more a referendum on a Republican majority, including our president, that was too often content to ignore problems like illegal immigration and out of control spending, while not working hard enough to get our message out about Iraq.
I talked with a lot of people - including family - who voted Democratic today. They were sick of the ineptitude, corruption, and tin ears of the Republican party. For example, one person in Florida I talked with said she voted for Nelson because she thought his stance on the war was "common-sense."
I also spoke with a law school friend who thought that Speaker Pelosi will be the best thing that ever happened to the Republican party - because the Republican party will have to clean up its act. I hope he's right.
I think you're right. If Bush & the Repubs had aggressively attacked the problems of illegal aliens and agressively controlled spending (including substantial tax overhaul of the current IRS debacle), and aggressively countered the Dims AND the media every time they opened their mouths on Iraq, I think the Republicans overwhelmingly would have supported Republican candidates. Instead we have an RNC & Repub Senate & House & President Bush who spent the last 6 years turning to the left to appease the Dims & media who never let up on their unrelenting hatred for Bush & the Republican Party. Well, now we will see what happens over the next two when Bush has to do battle every day against a DimWit Party that is bound & determined to take down this administration. I hope that Bush finally gets his wake-up call and takes his gloves off starting tomorrow.