Republicans are proclaiming victory after their candidates won statehouses in New Jersey and Virginia. And well they should. These were both states that went for Barack Obama in 2008. But how much do these elections really say about Obama and the prospects of the national Democratic Party? Some network commentators, citing suspiciously high approval ratings for Obama in New Jersey and Virginia, claim the elections say nothing at all about the president and his party.

Doug Wilder tells TPM that if Bob McDonnell becomes governor, "Virginia won't sink into the seas." Probably not, but McDonnell does seem to be a bit confused about global warming.

Politico has the not terribly surprising news that Doug Wilder has decided to stay out of Virginia's governors race--which is an implicit rebuke of the Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds. I say this isn't terribly surprising because Wilder has a history of doing this sort of thing to his fellow Virginia Democrats.