"Democrats Stand Almost No Visible Prospect of Attaining a Government Majority"

"The newly minted Republican leaders are mouthing the requisite platitudes about cooperation. But Mitch McConnell did not become the majority leader by cooperating. His single strategic insight is that voters do not blame Congress for gridlock, they blame the president, and therefore reward the opposition. Eternally optimistic seekers of bipartisanship have clung to the hope that owning all of Congress, not merely half, will force Republicans to 'show they can govern.' This hopeful bit of conventional wisdom rests on the premise that voters are even aware that the GOP is the party controlling Congress. In fact, only about 40 percent of the public even knows which party controls which chamber of Congress, which makes the notion that the Republicans would face a backlash for a lack of success fantastical.
"McConnell's next play is perfectly clear. His interest lies in creating two more years of ugliness and gridlock. He does not want spectacular, high-profile failures that command public attention—no shutdowns, no impeachment. Instead, he wants tedious, enervating stalemate. McConnell needs to drain away any possibility of hope and excitement from government, so that the disengaged Democratic voters remain disengaged in 2016."


Jonathan Chait in New York reacts to the midterm elections.


As does Paul Krugman in The New York Times.


As does Andrew O'Hehir and Thomas Frank in Salon.


As does Josh Marshall in Talking Points Memo.


But in The Nation, Jon Weiner sees good news for Democrats in California.