Minnesota emerges from Tuesday's election with one of the most influential congressional delegations it has had in years, bulked-up Democratic majorities in the Legislature and a state Republican Party that is breathing a sigh of relief while also undergoing a moment of soul-searching.
"Nationally, the Republican Party is going to go through a Dr. Phil, self-analysis moment," Gov. Tim Pawlenty said.
Self-examination is happening on the state level too, where Republicans were relieved to discover that they hadn't become completely irrelevant by losing enough state House seats to give Democrats a veto-proof majority, but discomfited by seeing their tiny numbers dwindle a bit further.
Traveling his Shakopee district to collect lawn signs and other campaign detritus, Rep. Michael Beard found himself in a gloomy, reflective state on Wednesday.
"What's happening in this state?" he said. "People seem to be clamoring for more and more government intervention."
Beard, who won his district handily, nevertheless found himself disheartened by a political reality tilted sharply away from limited government.
"I'm wondering how we, as a conservative party, inspire people to take care of themselves instead of looking to government," Beard said. Referring to GOP presidential candidate John McCain, Beard said, "Our guy didn't fill people with hope and inspiration. As a party we were praying for Ron Reagan and what we got was Ron Erhardt."
That was a reference to the legendarily irascible Edina legislator, a Republican who crossed party lines to help DFLers push through a gas tax increase in February and was punished by his party. Erhardt, running as an independent, lost his seat on Tuesday.