The Obama Effect

The spin continues to ensure us that today's elections have nothing to do with Obama:

Still, majorities of voters in both states (55 percent in Virginia and 60 percent in New Jersey) said President Obama was not a factor in their vote today. Those who said Mr. Obama was a factor in New Jersey divided as to whether their vote was a vote for the president (19 percent) or against him (20 percent). In Virginia, slightly fewer voters said their vote was for Mr. Obama (18 percent) than against him (24 percent).

Among Corzine supporters in New Jersey, 38 percent said one reason for their vote was to express support for Mr. Obama, while 39 percent of Christie voters said it was to express opposition to Mr. Obama.

In Virginia, among backers of the Democratic candidate, Creigh Deeds, 38 percent said their vote was in part to support the president, while 42 percent of McDonnell voters said their vote was in part to oppose the president.

Obama won Virginia by 6 points and New Jersey by 16. Let's see what the margins for Republicans are tonight.

Also, what's missing from the analysis above? How many Democrats or Independents, disillusioned by what has happened since they voted for The One, simply stayed home? We'll never know for sure, but given the significant drop in turnout today you have to assume that there's quite a continent of folks who simply weren't motivated enough to bother to cast a ballot, and it appears there were a lot more Democrats in that number than Republicans.