GOP mistakes vote for larger message

Republicans who claim that the election of Bob McDonnell as governor somehow represents a national repudiation of the policies of Pres-ident Barack Obama are either deluded or dishonest in their thinking. The Virginia gubernatorial race was nothing but a local referendum on the relative merits of Mr. McDonnell and opponent Creigh Deeds.

It was always unlikely that Mr. Deeds would defeat his better- known, better-funded rival. Had Democrats fielded a stronger, more charismatic candidate — another Tim Kaine or Mark Warner — they likely would have prevailed, and Republicans now would be calling the result meaningless.