The Democratic Party collapse in the 2009 Virginia statewide elections will come as a surprise only to those loyalists, true believers, and paid consultants and staffers who have chosen to ignore the increasingly dire situation facing working people in Virginia. As a union member who lives here, I’m not surprised one bit. The Democrats luck has run out.

You’d never know it from reading the RNC talking points at Politico or the Washington Post, but guess what: Houston, Texas — a historically-conservative city in a historically-conservative state — is on the verge of getting its first openly-gay mayor. What’s more is that she was by no means the only progressive or trailblazing major candidate in the race.

Last night, despite the efforts of Sarah Palin, the Club for Growth, Fred Thompson, Dick Armey and various teabaggers, NY-23 went Democratic for the first time since the 19th century. The wingnut reaction to this calamity? We’ve always been at war with Eurasia.

[Ed. Note: Dave Dayen has more on the CA-10 race.] You’re forgiven for not knowing that the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the clusterFOX Congressional race in NY-23 and referenda on stripping same-sex marriage rights in Maine (NO!) and Washington (YES!) are not the only elections today: even the Washington [...]