THE BIG STORY of last night’s elections was that America overwhelmingly chose the Republican vision of the future over the Democratic vision (or lack of vision). The big story today is what the Democrats will do in the face of their resounding defeat. By all indications, they still don’t understand that they have a problem.

Late last night, amidst the wave of Republican victories, there were two beacons of establishment liberal thought who previewed the lack of understanding among Democrats. In the Washington Post’s News Analysis, David Von Drehle wrote that “the story of Election 2002 seemed to be the continuing inability of both parties to form a strong governing majority”–this as the electorate was handing the reins of both houses of Congress to the party that controls the White House.