Virginia was not unexpected.  There’s no real surprise there.  However, what is shocking, and the thing that has Democrat heads spinning this morning is their defeat in New Jersey.  Wait.  Make that: HUGE defeat.

“It’s not huge,” you’re saying, “it’s just a five percent margin.”

Well, it may just be five percent, but in a deep blue state like New Jersey, that five percent is pretty big news. 

Consider that the incumbent, Creigh Deeds, had Obama, Biden, and Bill Clinton visiting the state, campaigning for him, and delivering speeches on his behalf since August.  The President himself made no less than six appearances. 

Add to that the fact that Deeds spent nearly three times as much as his Republican rival, roughly  thirty million to McDonnell’s eleven, and that the DNC kicked in seven million of their own.  

Finally, top it all off with the knowledge that Obama sent his top pollster to run Deeds’ campaign, and that New Jersey is about as much of a blue, union controlled state as you can find.

Add it all up, and you get an election that, by all accounts, the Democrats should have won.  Their loss speaks volumes about the waning influence of President Obama, and the DNC as a whole.  Yes, there were local issues that also contributed to the loss, but you simply can’t ignore the national implications.

….unless of course, you happen to be Robert Gibbs.

- Robert Laurie