This vote was a repudiation of president Obama's policies.
That's the conventional wisdom on cable news today. To a certain extent, it is unarguable. Yesterday was the biggest House pickup by a minority party in sixty years. Exit polls show the public wants government to do more with less. Among people that voted with the Tea Party in mind, two thirds went Republican. That is a repudiation. But were Democrats' progressive votes on the stimulus and health care a kiss of death in the Senate?
Let's take a look at the six seats that have (so far at 11:00AM) flipped to the red column. Sen. Blanche Lincoln lost in a blowout in Arkansas, and Sen. Russ Feingold lost in Wisconsin. Both senators voted for the stimulus and health care overhaul. That's the evidence we have of a Kiss of Death effect, so far.
But Harry Reid squeaked by in Nevada -- albeit, in a race that pundits said he would have lost against anybody besides Sharron Angle. Barbara Boxer won easily in California. Same goes for Mikulski in Maryland, Schumer in New York, Gillibrand in New York, Wyden in Oregon, Leahy in Vermont, and Inouye in Hawaii. Michael Bennet voted for both bills and looks like he's going to hold his razor-thin edge in Colorado. Patty Murray is coming down to the wire in Washington.