The dust has not completely settled from the elections in the US yesterday. Many in Maine and the state of Washington are disappointed with the outcomes for same sex marriage rights. And, of course, others are celebrating the wins--primarily in the states of VA and NJ. Why?

Those two states will now have Republican Governors. It's actually the norm in VA for the party not in the White House to win the Gubernatorial election. Business as usual. This wasn't a huge election, as it is classified as an "off year" election and next year's November elections are "mid-term" elections. Nonetheless, the election results will be read in an interesting array of ways from pundits on the Left and Right.

Was this a mandate for the GOP? No, the "n" is too small and it's just too common to see the President's party get punished. And, we have to all admit that the economic crisis is not good for anyone, especially the party in control. That said, American Politics is always exciting to follow. I am really looking forward to my class today.