*kolnai:
This one really hurts, because it probably is true that Lowden or Tarkanian would have beaten Reid.L

Same story as it was with Thompson and Giuliani in 2008 in race to presidential candidacy. Ah, if only Thompson did not self-destruct… and if he was up against Obama instead of lame mcCain…

Regretful I still have to see that pointed finger of Reid – how can those Nevadans vote that guy back with their unemployment numbers? I don’t get it!

California – what a shame.

We need to assess and regroup. We need to activate the base and get our message of hope and strength for America well articulated.

Thanks to all the comments here for keeping my sanity intact! It truly gave me hope – to think some of you actually physically suffered to get out to vote today humbles me and makes me proud to be an American.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/252313/reid-win-stephen-spruiell

He’s got a point.

gs – haha, “…the optimism has been postmodernized out of many of us.” Nice turn of phrase, and perhaps your right. Personally I was not an Angle supporter in the primary (I began supporting Tarkanian, then Lowden). This one really hurts, because it probably is true that Lowden or Tarkanian would have beaten Reid. And these were not exactly Mike Castle-types. All that matters to me is, Would they vote to repeal Obamacare and against cap-and-trade? Pretty clearly, the answers for both candidates were yes and yes. So I don’t see what we gained by going rogue in this case. (O’Donnell is a different story, because Castle was way too squishy).

On the other hand, I think Gray is right that the lesson here is not that the “extreme” right is somehow toxic. Angle was just not a very good candidate. Lets say, for instance, Marco Rubio was in her place in Nevada. I think he would have beat Reid (though maybe not, of course).

The lesson is simply that we need good candidates. If an “extremist” like Ron Johnson can win in Wisconsin, or an “extremist” like Pat Toomey can win in Penn., there is no reason at all why an “extremist” couldn’t win in Nevada. Even Angle came very close to beating Reid.

Hey, I’m always willing for my opponent to run well…as long as I win.

The question afaic is how the Establishment Republican that Angle defeated in the primary would have done in the general election.

Still, I expected Angle, as the more optimistic candidate, to win a close race.

Maybe the optimism has been postmodernized out of many of us, even out West.

You can dislike the individual power-holders, but the System, the Constitutionally founded system, that provides these shifts without riots and blood is exquisite. That’s the thing I swore to uphold and defend.

Castle, O’donnell’s opponent in the primary, would have voted with the democrats anyhow. Angle ran well against the union-machine candidate Reid.

The “extreme” right had a good night. It’s a retrenchment. The red has gone infra-red and blue is approaching ultra-violet.

Lots of Republican governors. The message is: “if you have an “R” after your name, you have to vote like one….

Overheard in the gym tonight from an obviously hard-line old Democrat voter: “I’m just gonna vote for gridlock now on….. Maybe they will only agree on serious things, y’know, where there is an emergency.”

Oh, poor California. That place is screwed….

I understand Boehner gave a very restrained speech. I hope becomes the next speaker.