With all precincts reporting, Republican Craig Huey did better than the usual GOP candidate but fell short of Democrat Janice Hahn in yesterday’s special election in California’s 36th congressional district. She took 54.4 percent to his 45.5 percent. The result is slightly disappointing for Republicans, since early indicators suggested a tight race, but no one should fool themselves about the difficult demographics within the district.

The district scores a D+12 in the Cook Partisan Voting Index, the previous Democrat incumbent, Jane Harman, usually won with 60 percent or more, and Obama carried the district with 64 percent.

At some point, you run out of Republicans and persuadable independents . . .