A few observations:

• I saw some of Joe Manchin's victory speech in West Virginia. I would have voted for him too. I liked his big point about how he'll work with anyone to get stuff done. Maybe I'm naive, but he seemed really genuine about it and it was the kind of message I wanted to hear.
• On the other hand, I thought Rand Paul's speech was horrible. It was all still about "taking back the country" and "showing those folks in D.C.". He is one of those folks in D.C. now. You can run on anger, but you can't govern on it.
• Reading comments online, I got a real sense of voter glee at "firing" the incumbents. Everyone seemed to truly enjoy this sense of power, which is a little odd, since we've always had the power to do this. I do feel like a taste of this kind of power is addictive and voters will feel free to vote these guys out again in 2 or 6 years if they want to. That's great.
• I do feel a little sad about Russ Feingold, even though I think McCain/Feingold was ultimately a rotten piece of legislation. Sometimes I think that representatives think they work for the GOP or the DNC instead of the people that voted for them. I don't think that Feingold ever felt that way. I think he hung himself on two votes (health care and the second stimulus). It's a shame, but it goes to show that representatives really are ultimately accountable to the people.
• I'm glad to read that some Republicans understand that this election isn't about Americans embracing Republican values. This is about Americans being ticked off about spending. If Republicans try to use this election to do a bunch of crap that doesn't involve cutting spending and working to improve the economy, they too will be voted out. See "glee" above.
• Facebook, which just two years ago was filled with breathless, unbridled joy about Obama's election, is now filled with anger and terror. I would laugh, but I'm too upset to do so. This election had nothing to do with the social issues that frighten people so much. It's the economy, stupid.
• Overall, I think America does well with a divided government. It forces people to work together. I think that's what Americans want right now. We want a government that does our business, not the business of either party. I don't know if that will really happen now, but I'm more optimistic than ever that if it doesn't the American people will again hold their representatives accountable in 2012.