Free Republic

Tuesday’s elections swept Republicans across America into office, but what do freshly elected Republicans need to do next? 1) Realize They’ve Not Sold the American People Victorious Republicans should enjoy their election victory, but they should also understand it does not mean that the American people have bought wholesale into conservative political philosophy, as is so tempting to believe after a big election. After George W. Bush’s victory in 2004, Hugh Hewitt wrote Painting the Map Red. After 2008, James Carville wrote 40 More Years: How Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation. Both books turned out to be overly optimistic...

Dear Friend, I wanted, first of all, to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your massive support and the outpouring of funds and interest to back up my efforts on behalf of Super PAC for America. We have succeeded amazingly. As background, I divided my efforts into two categories: there were races where I was personally involved advising the campaigns and working to help them raise money. There were others in which Super PAC was involved in independent efforts. I had no personal involvement in those races and was, therefore, able to raise funds for Super PAC...

Although attention has focused on GOP gains in Congress and Governor's mansions, the worst part of the night for Democrats probably came in state legislative seats. The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that Democrats had the worst night in state legislative seats since 1928. With races outstanding in New York, Washington and Oregon, Republicans have flipped at least 14 chambers, and have unified control of 25 state legislatures. They have picked up over five hundred state legislative seats, including over 100 in New Hampshire alone. This hurts Democrats in two ways. First, it wipes out the prospective farm team...

Japanese news today over here (newspapers above the fold, magazines, non-stop TV networks) are filled to the brim with news of Mr. Obama's humiliating defeat at the hands of the Republicans.Many of this is bringing Japanese up to speed as to how unpopular Mr. Obama really is, as for the last two years by and large they perpetuated the image of him being successful and popular (mostly in order to sell books and English instruction tapes using his speeches). What a rude awakening.Well, my favorite title is from this morning's Hokkaido Shimbun: Essentially: "Obama Agenda For "Change" Delivered Strong...

Republicans are on their way to controlling nearly 300 seats in New Hampshire's House of Representatives, according to preliminary vote counts. The latest tally shows 296 seats firmly in Republican hands, with three seats yet to be decided. GOP sources say two of those will likely go their way and leave Democrats with 102 seats. In the Senate, the final split is 19-5, according to figures at the Secretary of State's office. That represents a pickup of nine seats for the Republicans, who were the minority in a 14-10 Senate for the past four years. [SNIP] Secretary of State William...

Republicans thundered into the majority in the House of Representatives Tuesday night, making historic gains by a proportion not seen in more than 70 years. The party so far has won more than 60 seats, with about 65 net gains projected by the time all ballots are counted -- far more than the party needed to seize the majority. Democrats, with the help of a victory by Majority Leader Harry Reid, held the Senate by a narrow margin but suffered several big losses in an election that just about put Republicans on equal footing with the president's party.

Local TV station calling it for Paul Lepage

Republicans on Tuesday appeared to take control of the Alabama Legislature, with top Republicans claiming to have close to 60 seats in the 105-member House of Representatives and about 22 seats in the 35-member Senate. ... Auburn University at Montgomery political scientist Brad Moody said Alabama was late in joining other Southeastern states in having at least one chamber of the Legislature controlled by Republicans. "It's a big deal. The Alabama Legislature just has been one of the last to switch from being Democratic controlled to Republican controlled," Moody said.

For the first time in decades, the GOP wrestled control of the Governorship, the State Senate AND the State House away from the Democrats. Pretty amazing.

Celebrate Tuesday's election results, but don't forget who put you in office and why — namely, the independent-minded Tea Party voters Republicans are rightfully celebrating their recent successes in the midterm elections, recapturing the House and making major gains in the Senate. But before House GOP leader John Boehner starts measuring the curtains for the speaker’s office, he and his fellow Republicans would do well to remember the old proverb popularized by legendary University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal: “Dance with the one who brung you.”In this case, that means: Don’t forget who put you in office and why...

Georgia Republicans on Tuesday finished the job they started in 2002: consolidating control of state government by sweeping every major statewide office. For the first time since Reconstruction the state is poised to have no statewide-elected Democrats. The huge night for state Republicans follows a GOP wave that swept across the country and tilted the U.S. House of Representatives into GOP control and left Democrats with a narrow margin in the U.S. Senate. With most of the votes in Georgia counted Tuesday night, the Republicans held leads in races for U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, insurance commissioner, secretary...

Dear Mr Boehner, I grew up just a few towns away from you and you were a year ahead of me in high school. From one Ohio Baby Boomer to another, here's what I wish for our new House... 1. DO NOT bailout California, New York or any other state stupid enough to put Democrats back in power. Or any other state period. 2. Repeal Obamacare. Again and again and again and again, etc. 3. Repeal Financial Reform. No President should have to power to close any business he chooses. 3. Sell GM, Fannie and Freddie and any other institution...

The Democrats suffered a debacle at the polls in the US on Tuesday -- and President Barack Obama is to blame. Once celebrated as a great communicator, the president has lost touch with the mood in his country. Now, he must re-invent himself. But can he succeed? On Thursday, US President Barack Obama will be leaving Washington behind. He is embarking on a trip to Asia, including a stop in Indonesia. The flight is a long one -- almost an entire day. But Obama lived for a time in Indonesia as a child, and the feeling of being at home...

Tonight, Republicans will watch the election returns hoping for an upset takeover of the U.S. Senate. And if President Obama has any sense, he will be rooting for the GOP as well. Don't get me wrong, I would enjoy the epic Democratic humiliation symbolized by a Republican Senate takeover as much as the next guy - assuming the next guy isn't Harry Reid. But that thrill would be short-lived as the realities of Washington politics set in. The GOP governing majority would be slim; there would be little chance of getting meaningful legislation passed, and no chance at all of...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Resurgent Republicans smashed the Democratic power monopoly, exit polls projected, in a debilitating blow to President Barack Obama just two years after he took power on a tide of hope and history. Exploiting fear and fury over the stuttering economic rebound, Republicans grabbed back the House of Representatives, though Obama's beleaguered Democrats looked certain to cling onto the Senate, though with a badly reduced majority. "We've come to take our government back!" cried Rand Paul, a hero of the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement, after winning a Senate seat in Kentucky. "There's a Tea Party tidal wave," he...

As per Glenn Beck, the Tea Partiers, patriotic Americans...We, the People, have RESTORED HONOR to our country. And, now hear this, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert -- American voters have also RESTORED SANITY!This is now a CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN. America, we can celebrate today, we have HOPE and can be optimistic again. Tomorrow we expect our leaders to get on the road to hard work and Restore Jobs, Restore our Economy, Restore our Freedoms, Restore our Protection from Illegal Entry, Restore our Military Power and Might, Restore Morality and Ethical Behavior, Restore God, our Faith, and Rightfully named...

SNIP Continuing the drumbeat of early defeats for Democrats, Suzanne Kosmas...lost to Sandy Adams...Adams made Kosmas' vote in favor of health care law a centerpiece of her campaign. Another incumbent to fall was Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, who said on the campaign trail that Democrats saved the country with their stimulus package. Republican Frank Guinta...criticized Shea-Porter for "blindly" following Democratic leaders and was a vocal critic of the health care reform. Shea-Porter's defeat puts Republicans back on the map in New England, where they have no members in the current Congress. ...Rep. Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania (above) lost to...

The surge that gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday also hit state legislatures, where the Republican Party was on track for historic gains. In most states, legislatures will be redrawing electoral districts for the House of Representatives in Washington -- an adjustment of boundaries every 10 years that tends to favor the party in charge of each state house. The big Republican Party wins at the state level give it the edge in reinforcing its strength in the House. Republicans took control of at least 17 chambers from Democrats, according to Tim Storey, an elections analyst...

This is an unusual Morning Briefing because you need to understand what happened while you’ve been sleeping. Republican gains are massive. And when I say Republican gains are massive, I mean tsunami. No, the GOP did not take the Senate and some races are still outstanding, but the Senate GOP has moved to the right. More so, the Republicans picking up, in the worst case, seven seats is historically strong. But consider that as you wake up this morning the Republican Party has picked up more seats in the House of Representatives than at any time since 1948 — that...

Megyn Kelly and Sarah Palin just said that GOP will take control of the house with 60 seats.