Louie Gohmert Trounces Owen 87-12%

Louie Gohmert easily defeated Roger Owen, but his biggest fight will be next year in Washington.

Louie Gohmert never broke a sweat this campaign season. Roger Owen trailed him by a large margin the whole race, and never threatened to break the pattern. Gohmert has little cause to celebrate beyond his personal victory, however.

Nationwide, Republicans gave up at least 10 seats to Nancy Pelosi's Democrats. This means Gohmert and party are probably in for a long two year turn in the congressional barrel.

It will also be two years of party convulsions, with republicans seeking leadership, a message that will resonate with a reshaped electorate, and a strategy to stop the bleeding that started in 2002.

While Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Pelosi all made bi-partisan overtures in their speeches tonight, early budget and energy battles next year will no doubt strain the outreach.

Gohmert's party also faces fund raising woes. The RNC nearly bankrupted itself trying to hold onto a fillibuster capability in the senate. Their weakened political power, coupled with hard financial times ahead for donors, will probably mean lighter war chests in two years.

The Democrats, enjoying near total control over the halls of power in the Capital, will find their donors eager to pony up, hoping for a piece of the massive programs Obama and the Democrats have promised.