Republicans extended their dominance in state government, picking up at least one governor’s seat Tuesday night and increasing the number of Republican governors to 30, the most there have been in more than a decade. Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, said that the state-level gains Republicans made in “provides optimism for the future.”

And of course, even two years in politics is a long time. Just after Mr. McCain lost the 2008 elections there was similar hand-wringing in the party. Two years later, Republicans made historic gains in the midterm elections.

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