Democrats Have G.O.P. to Thank, at Least in Part

From The New York Times:

In the battleground state of Ohio, where Mr. Kerry lost the presidency to George W. Bush, the 2.74 million votes he received almost precisely matched Mr. Obama’s 2008 total. Mr. Obama won because John McCain received 300,000 fewer votes than Mr. Bush did.

Lacking a deep wellspring of support among conservative party regulars, Mr. McCain courted them to win the Republican nomination — in the process weakening his once-formidable standing among independents. He sought to appeal to both factions with his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, and saw most Americans deem her unqualified for the presidency.

The campaign’s unalloyed appeals to cultural populism drove well-educated, high-income voters to the Democratic ticket.

Democratic veterans warn against assuming the party can sustain such successes against a reinvigorated Republican opposition. “The country remains very evenly divided,” said Harold Ickes, a former deputy chief of staff in the Clinton administration. “The lease on the office space is likely very short.”

Indeed, Mr. Clinton’s experience highlights the risks. The misadventures of his first two White House years helped pave the way for the Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich that ousted Democrats from control of Congress.