Some sense to combat the spin from Castellanos:

While the conservative base was energized yesterday — conservative turnout was up 7 percent in Virginia and 5 percent in New Jersey from 2008 — something else took Republican candidates across the finish line: They remembered that their principles were good for more than saying no. Republicans won’t find a more conservative candidate than Bob McDonnell if they draw lots from National Review’s subscription list. He didn’t abandon or “moderate” his principles to win the middle. Instead, he complemented them with an optimistic, populist vision of economic success.
Mr. McDonnell offered suburban voters, working women and independents a better way to increase jobs and expand the economy, from the bottom up. It was a stark contrast to what Americans are seeing in Washington, where elitist Democratic politicians, in bed with the Wall Street establishment, are taking Americans’ tax dollars away to invest in arrogant, top-down public-sector schemes. This helped Mr. McDonnell forge a powerful coalition involving not just independents but also young voters; he won the under-30 vote by 10 percent. Thanks for the opportunity, President Obama. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Virginia a New Republican Party was born. See you in 2010.