First off: This says it all for me.

Lessons from Election Day 2006:

1. There were any number of chances over the last two years to declare victory in Iraq, draw our forces down and move remaining troops to permanent bases out of the line of fire (but still close enough to be of use), as I've been calling for for a while. How that would have affected things on the ground is debatable. But it might have avoided this day.

2. Apparently Rove's confidence going into the election was just him putting up a brave front. He did NOT know something we didn't. So much for Rove being an evil genius. Another lefty myth exploded.

3. Speaking of lefty myths, the media was saturated all day yesterday with the idiotic "voting irregularities" stories. But the Dems still won. So much for the Diebold family's iron-fisted control over the electoral system. The first big problem with elections in this country (aside from the wholly American practice of every dang county doing it a little differently) is the fact that elections only happen a couple times a year. If we voted once a week, we'd have this sorted out by Christmas. It takes you two weeks to do your taxes because you only have to do it once a year. It takes your accountant 20 minutes because he does 15 returns a day. And lets not forget that elections are run, in almost every precinct in this nation, by lazy, stupid and/or venal local officials (of both parties), overseeing a largely volunteer workforce who, at the least, are not the sharpest knives in the drawer and, at the worst, are openly conniving for one party.
The electronic voting machines are not the problem. The problem are these officials who can't or won't train people properly on how they work, and forthrightly order workers to behave themselves. But this will get better eventually. Prediction: We're going to have similar, but slightly less, chaos in '08, slightly less in '10, slightly less in '12...by '20 things may be running pretty smoothly and only a tiny handful of nutball luddite types will be bleating about paper trails.

4. For all the growing power of the much-vaunted alternative media, and for all the waning power of the MSM, when the MSM completely abandons any shred of objectivity--as they did this year--and works steadily to get one political party elected, they can still do it.

5. To every Michael Savage conservative who stayed home or voted for a Democrat to "punish" Republicans over immigration: When the Democrats give Bush the amnesty bill he wants, you will be responsible. Live with it.

6. To every hardcore right-winger who delighted in Bush-bashing over Harriet Meiers, and the ports deal and half-dozen other little kerfuffles that helped you claim you weren't "a cheerleader for the administration" (and that includes a lot of pundits and radio talk hosts who are upset this morning) you need to live with the way your glib shortsightedness helped damage the President, opened the door to 60 percent disapproval ratings, and helped bring about this kettle of fish in which we find ourselves this morning.

7. Some consolation: This was not a victory for the left--just ask Ned Lamont. Most of the victorious Democrats are gun-owning, anti-partial-birth-abortion, pro-victory mushy middle types who are not going to see eye-to-eye with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. Pro-victory Democrat Lieberman won, weak-kneed Republican Chafee lost.

8. Looking ahead: Hastert will not last the week as minority leader. Likewise Frist in the Senate, whether or not Conrad Burns hands him a majority, is finished. Boehner, though a newcomer, may be in trouble too. Quite a few Democratic governors, including Rendell of Pennsylvania, Richardson of New Mexico, woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and thought they saw at very least, a contender for VP. On the other hand, George Allen, even if he manages to litigate a win, is finished as presidential timber. Hillary did the two things she needed to do: win handily and stay below the radar nationally; she is now fully positioned. The GOP race seems to have narrowed to Rudi and Mit and maybe a few dark horses. (I'll say it again: the GOP will NEVER nominate John McCain.) I still say we are looking at a Rudi-Hillary face off in '08.

9. A perverse, dark benefit: Before today, if there had been another terrorist attack on American soil, Bush and Bush alone would have been blamed. A lot of people said another attack would have been a boon for the Republicans; I completely disagreed--Democrats would have been pointing fingers at Bush before the smoke cleared. But all that has changed. From today forward, if there is a terrorist attack on American soil, it will be entirely plausible to say "See? The terrorists sensed weakness." A dark and ugly thought, yes. But I never promised you a rose garden.

See Hewitt for more lessons. And Medved for still more.