Good Night for Dems

Last night's election day results were solid for Democrats, despite the incessant media drum-beating that this fall will be a Democratic rout.  In Pennslyvania, Joe Sestak beat six-term Senator Arlen Spector for the Democratic nomination.  The media's conventional wisdom is that this represents a voter revolt against Washington insiders.  Maybe, but Sestak is a sitting Congressman and hardly an outsider.  Plus, Arlen painted himself into a corner by switching parties because he was going to loose the GOP primary, not out of personal convictions.  Sestak could truthfully run as the real Democrat.  It didn't help when Arlen attacked Sestak's military record.  As a retired Naval Admiral, his military credentials are strong.  It made Arlen look petty and desperate. 

In the Pennsylvania race to fill the late Jack Murtha's unexpired term,  Democrat Mark Critz defeated Republican Tim Burns by 8 points.  PA-12 is a Republican district that went for John McCain in 2008 by a wide margin.  The GOP was counting on this seat to get them closer to capturing the House.  Obama is very unpopular there and the GOP didn't even get close to a victory. 

In Kentucky, Rand Paul won the GOP nomination for the Senate over establishment candidate Trey Grayson.  The press has been obsessed with Dr. Paul and has completely ignored the Democratic race in which Jack Conway defeated Daniel Mongiardo.  What was interesting about this race, and almost completely ignored by the Tea Party obsessed media, was Democratic voter turnout in Kentucky.  It was heavier than Republican turn out and that's a fairly good predictor of general election results.  Rand Paul may be the media darling of the moment, but he is not going to have an easy race in the general election. 

The conventional wisdom that Democrats are demoralized and may stay home in November is looking increasingly untrue.