Eight years ago, this was the political landscape in the U.S
There was a Republican President who was elected with 47.9% of the popular vote.
Republicans controlled the US Senate 51-49 and the House of Representatives 229-206.
Democrats had just been elected Governors of New Jersey & Virginia, after eight years of Republican governors.
Today, the situation is –
There is a Democratic President who was elected with 52.9% of the popular vote.
Democrats control the US Senate 60-40 and the House of Representatives 258-177.
Republicans have just elected Governors of New Jersey & Virginia, after eight years of Democratic governors.
So the Democrats are in a pretty similar place this year as the Republicans were in 2001, with the Democrats is a stronger position by any objective standard.
But this year, conservative pundits & bloggers have proclaimed that President Obama and the Democrats suffered a devastating defeat and centrists & liberals are telling Obama and the Democrats what they have to do to recover for this year's losses.
Does anybody remember anyone, left, right or center, making pronouncements like that in 2001?