As fascinating as the 2002 mid-term election results were, this may go down as one of the most misinterpreted, or perhaps over-interpreted, national elections in modern American history. This was an important election that said many things about the state of American politics, including promising signs for Republicans in the future. But it was hardly the seismic shift in the political landscape that many have claimed. The results do not reflect any significant movement in public attitudes. Fundamentally the United States remains an evenly divided nation and as a result, most of our national elections, more likely than not, will be competitive.

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