The election, distilled

Here's a handy summary of the essentials of this year's election:

Palin and the teabaggers cost the Republicans a Senate take-over they would probably otherwise have achieved (see Delaware, Nevada, Colorado).

What happened was not a pendulum swing but a collapse of voter turn-out.

The right wing still hasn't closed the gender gap.

The Republican game plan is still to obstruct everything -- DADT repeal, START, science, any tax compromise.

Same old shit, same old fan.

We know now, not to trust Rasmussen polls.

In the long run the future belongs to us.