The blue wave falls short

Overall, the blue wave fell short well short of expectations on Tuesday.

Democrats took the House, but only gained about the 34 seats to be expected from the party opposing a president in his first midterm election. They gained governorships, but a fell short in swing states Ohio, New Hampshire and Florida.

And they lost ground in the Senate, as Dem incumbents who voted against confirming Brett Kavanaugh lost in North Dakota, Florida, Indiana and Missouri.

In the Empire State, Democrats did take down Reps. Dan Donovan, John Faso and Claudia Tenney. These are good people, as are various Democrats who fell short across the nation. Partisan politics are tough — as the apparent victories of scandal-tarred Sen. Bob Menendez in New Jersey and Rep. Chris Collins in New York attest.

The big picture? American politics are still in transition, with both parties and the voters still digesting the issues exposed by the shocking Trump win in 2016, and grappling with challenges that don’t fit the old ideological boxes.

A Democratic House is sure to keep biting the president’s feet, with endless investigations. A more-Republican Senate will confirm his appointees, especially his judicial ones.

Tuesday brought no clear message because the nation is still figuring out what it thinks. In these challenging times, that’s probably about the right call.