A prayer has been answered — not for a massive Republican victory at the polls, though that, too. No, I’m thinking of the perennial prayer of losers: “Oh Lord, let my enemies go too far.”

The results of the 2014 midterms will be chewed over for weeks and months. One datum that hasn’t received much attention so far is the exit poll result showing that 71 percent of voters are somewhat or very worried about another major terrorist attack in the United States. Such is the Republican reputation for hardheadedness on national security that the party benefits from this concern without breaking a sweat.