memeorandum: Off-Year Races Really Don't Matter, Except When It's McAuliffe and Clinton (Beth Reinhard/NationalJournal.com)

2:30 PM ET, November 6, 2013

Top Items:

James Hohmann / Politico:

Why Terry McAuliffe barely won — How the heck did that happen? — Most public polls leading up to Election Day had Terry McAuliffe coasting to victory, some by double digits, in the Virginia governor's race. Instead he squeaked by, beating Republican Ken Cuccinelli by less than 3 percentage points.

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:

Tell Me Again Who Won in Virginia? — Before we get into any more election analysis, I have to make a preliminary objection to what we are hearing this morning about the Virginia governor's race. Yes, we all play the expectations game, and Terry McAuliffe only won by two-and-a-half percent …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Mediaite, The Federalist, The Week Magazine, Business Insider, National Review, The Mahablog and Politico

Emily Schultheis / Politico:

Ken Cuccinelli's near miss sparks recriminations — RICHMOND — Anyone expecting Ken Cuccinelli and the conservative wing of the Virginia GOP to lie down and admit defeat was disappointed Tuesday night. — After Cuccinelli's closer-than-expected loss, the defiant candidate and his supporters …

Discussion: CNN, Daily Kos, National Review, The Reaction, Taylor Marsh and Washington Monthly

Wall Street Journal:

The Portents of Election 2013 — Republicans beat themselves in Virginia. Is Christie a model? — The major political parties split Tuesday's pair of Governor's races, as Democrat Terry McAuliffe won a close race for an open seat in the swing state of Virginia while Republican Chris Christie romped to a second term in New Jersey.

Discussion: protein wisdom, The Daily Beast, The Week, ABC News and TheBlaze.com

Michael Barone / Washington Examiner:
Some reflections on the Virginia and New Jersey elections

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, Hit & Run, The New Republic, USA Today, Wonkblog, National Review, Hot Air, Mediaite, PostPartisan, The Glittering Eye and Right Turn

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:
Cuccinelli's stance on Obamacare was a liability, McAuliffe pollster says

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, CNN, Washington Monthly, National Review, Feministing and Right Turn

Bill Turque / Washington Post:
Obenshain, Herring virtually tied in Virginia attorney general's race; recount expected

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Fix, Guardian, Politico and Liberaland

Beth Reinhard / NationalJournal.com:
Off-Year Races Really Don't Matter, Except When It's McAuliffe and Clinton

Discussion: Washington Post, NBCNews and First Read

Alan Silverleib / CNN:
Exit polls: Christie and McAuliffe took different paths to victory

Discussion: Mother Jones, Slate, Hit & Run, Democracy in America, Virginian-Pilot, Colorlines, Guardian, Fox News and Washington Wire

New York Times:

Chris Christie Coasts to 2nd Term as Governor of New Jersey — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey won re-election by a crushing margin on Tuesday, a victory that vaulted him to the front ranks of Republican presidential contenders and made him his party's foremost proponent of pragmatism over ideology.

George Neumayr / American Spectator:
Look to Cruz, Not to Christie

Discussion: Cahnman's Musings and Ricochet Conversations Feed

Carter Eskew / PostPartisan:
Message to Republicans: Moderates win

Discussion: The Week

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:

Sebelius: ObamaCare enrollment numbers will be ‘quite low’ — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged on Wednesday that the initial enrollment numbers through the new healthcare exchanges will be “quite low.” [WATCH VIDEO] — In testimony to the Senate Finance Committee …

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Sebelius Rejects Bipartisan Calls for Delay in Health Law — WASHINGTON — Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, categorically rejected bipartisan calls to delay parts of the new health care law during testimony Wednesday before a Senate committee.

Discussion: Reuters and Talking Points Memo

Alexis Levinson / The Daily Caller:
Sebelius: Possible for convicted felons to become Obamacare navigators [VIDEO]

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Conservatives4Palin

Monte Whaley / Denver Post:

51ST STATE QUESTION ANSWERED “YES” IN 6 OF 11 COUNTIES CONTEMPLATING SECESSION — Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway, center, with other elected officials address a group of supporters of the 51st State Initiative during an election result watch party at the Historic Fort Lupton Fort, November 5, 2013.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, DownWithTyranny!, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Caller, The Week, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Beast and The Fix

Josh Israel / ThinkProgress:

Five Counties Vote To Secede From Colorado — In non-binding referenda Tuesday in Colorado, voters in five counties endorsed secession from the Centennial State. Six more counties rejected proposals to create a 51st state of “North Colorado.” — Voters in the 11 counties put the question on the ballot …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, KDVR.com, Liberaland and Talking Points Memo

Steven T. Dennis / Roll Call:

Democrats' Anxiety Grows Over Obamacare Problems — When a loyal leader on your own team says there is a “crisis of confidence” surrounding your signature initiative, you've got trouble. — That's the phrase Democratic Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland used repeatedly Tuesday morning …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Ed Driscoll and The Daily Caller

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:
Obama's ‘Crisis of Confidence’

Discussion: Associated Press, Yahoo! News and VodkaPundit

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Not Republicans, who opposed it openly and honorably. — One of the excuses for the technical incompetence of ObamaCare is that the president and his team were the victims of “sabotage” by congressional Republicans. Todd Purdum, a leftist longtime New York Times reporter …

Discussion: Betsy's Page, Right Turn, Doug Ross, “The Lid” and The Lonely Conservative

Justin Sink / The Hill:

White House sends SOS to insurers — The White House on Tuesday asked health insurers for help in quelling the growing furor over the cancellation of insurance plans under ObamaCare. — In a meeting at the White House, Obama's chief of staff Denis McDonough asked insurance executives …

David Levinsky / Burlington County Times:

Sources: Runyan won't seek re-election in 2014 — Jon Runyan, the former pro football player turned congressman, will not seek a third term in the House of Representatives next year, according to multiple sources familiar with the congressman's plans. — The sources said the Mount Laurel …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Post Politics and Roll Call

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
House Republican not running for re-election

Discussion: Politico

Matt Friedman / New Jersey Online:
Sources: Jon Runyan won't seek re-election to Congress in 2014

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

New York Times:

De Blasio Is Elected New York City Mayor in Landslide — Bill de Blasio, who transformed himself from a little-known occupant of an obscure office into the fiery voice of New York's disillusionment with a new gilded age, was elected the city's 109th mayor on Tuesday.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Verge, NY Daily News, Gothamist, Mashable, City Room, Politicker, The Moderate Voice, Towleroad News #gay and Gawker

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
PHOTOS: De Blasio Family Celebrates New York City Mayoral Victory

Discussion: National Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money and alicublog

Alex Tabarrok / Marginal Revolution:

Did Obama spy on Mitt Romney? As recently as a few weeks ago if anyone had asked me that question I would have consigned them to a right (or left) wing loony bin. Today, the only loonies are those who think the question unreasonable. Indeed, in one sense the answer is clearly yes.

Wall Street Journal:

In Bond v. U.S., the Supreme Court will decide if a treaty trumps state police powers. — The Supreme Court hears its most consequential case so far this term on Tuesday, and the question boils down to this: Can the federal government use a treaty with foreign nations to vitiate police powers …

Discussion: PointOfLaw Forum and New York Times

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Supreme Court finds dilemma in spurned wife's conviction

Discussion: Althouse

Guardian:

Swedish cinemas take aim at gender bias with Bechdel test rating — Movies need to pass test that gauges the active presence of women on screen in bid to promote gender equality — You expect movie ratings to tell you whether a film contains nudity, sex, profanity or violence.

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, The Verge, Daily Dot and Shakesville, more at Mediagazer »

Anna Edwards / Daily Mail:

Pictured with the man who shot him dead moments later: RAF policeman grins alongside rogue Afghan policeman who opened fire on him and comrade — An unwitting British soldier who posed for a photograph with a rogue Afghan policeman was shot dead by him seconds later.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch and Atlas Shrugs

Morning Sentinel:

Jennifer Johnson beats husband in Waterville warden race — Husband versus wife battle for Ward 1 seat drew statewide attention and, the competitors hope, attention to the election process — WATERVILLE — Jennifer Johnson won the Ward 1 warden position over her competitor and spouse, David Johnson, on Tuesday night 127-76.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:

Virginia Gun Shop Handed Out Free AR-15 Magazines To Voters — In an attempt to get out the vote on Election Day, Quantico Tactical in Woodbridge, VA handed out free 30-round AR-15 magazines to anyone who showed a Virginia voter ID or active duty military ID.

Discussion: Capitol City Project, Liberaland, The Raw Story and Brad DeLong