This is the essence of what is happening. Virginia is the best of the well-reported examples, and that state is a model for not only other Southern states but the rest of the Sun Belt and hence the future of the USA — and it's far from the monolithic “Red Nation” (much less Bible Belt and much less still the “far right” myth the far left spews incessently). What has been observed here is indeed a reaction by the mainstream against the far-left behavior we've been “treated” to this year.

The sub-plot that is timely is that as with the Dems, who are fracturing and stumbling among themselves from overreach and loss of coherence in Washington, you have a similar behavior associated with the far left small fraction of the electorate and to a lesser extent, solid Dem voters, who were dysfunctional, not merely apathetic, where they were not instead just amotivational or demotivated. (The opponents were the ones who were motivated this year.)

This election is no 1994 but a 1994 is not required to teach smarter people the not-too-far-left lesson, however.

The worst enemy of the GOP during elections is the far right neo-conservative wing, the worst enemy of the Democrats are the far left Progressive wing.

Nothing in reality will be anywhere as big as the hype and overreaction by some about what really happens.

[rolling eyes]

I've said this a bunch of times. The internet has changed politics forever. The old machine ran on blind loyalty. The internet is like the sun shining in on the dingy, filthy corners of politics. It's refreshing to think that if you input new data, even rigid minds can still compute intelligent, independent thoughts.