I'm in NH. These election results mean that the nearest "red state" is almost 700 miles away (WV). There's certainly plenty of Republicans closer than that, of course, and even Republicans elected to national office closer than that, but it's pretty remarkable to see that northeast sea of blue on the national map. As it elsewhere in the country, the red-blue split is really an urban-rural split, for the most part. There are certainly upper-income people voting Republican for pure self-interest reasons, and plenty of "low info" voters we've talked about at great length here on TPM and elsewhere who buy into what the Republicans are saying for sometimes puzzling reasons, and of course there are indeed people who vote Republican because they genuinely believe that the Republicans are the best route to an agenda and policies they think are best for the nation.

NH certainly used to be much more conservative, and there are certainly still areas in the state that are "red". I was here when the arch-conservative Governor Mel Thompson was firmly in power, and was hand-in-hand with the arch-conservative newspaper Manchester Union Leader under its leader William Loeb.

Yesterday, NH went strongly for Obama. We are sending a Democratic woman, Jeanne Shaheen, to replace a conservative Republican Senator, John Sununu (son of the former NH Governor John Sununu who was GHW Bush's chief of staff). We are sending two Democratic Reps, one a woman, back to Congress for their second terms. We've reelected a Democratic Governor with 70+ percent of the vote (I've heard that when Palin's approval ratings slipped, Governor Lynch may have risen to the spot of most popular Governor). Most of my representation and leadership at the State level is Democrat, and many are women.

We do still have one Republican US Senator, Judd Gregg. He is likely deeply and sincerely thanking his luck that he was not up for reelection this year. He probably would have won, but he would have had to work harder for it than he has before. He probably feels the bullseye on him; perhaps that will "encourage" him to work towards the center. Regardless, there are a number of directions from which that seat will be targeted.

All in all, a very good set of results.

Oh, and I did vote for one Republican: the incumbent Sheriff seems to be doing a good enough job; his challenger is weak; and I don't really think that should be a political position anyway.

Buchanan's take on the choice of Palin:

"The risk John McCain took last Friday is comparable to the 72-year-old ex-fighter pilot knocking back two shots and flying his F-16 under the Golden Gate Bridge."
-- Pat Buchanan

I'd like to see this in an Obama ad.

Open with the quote, then Obama or some other voice of reason saying that Pat's exactly correct that the VP choice is something like that, then pointing out that if a fighter jock did indeed do such a thing it correctly would be an immediate end to his career. It's about Executive judgment, leadership and decision making.