Will Election Losses' Silver Lining Turn To Future Electoral Gold?

George F. Will, in his Thursday piece "A Loss's Silver LIning" says there are three reasons for the GOP drubbing on Election Day.

"First, they were punished not for pursuing but for forgetting conservatism. Second, they admire market rationality, and the political market has worked. Third, on various important fronts, conservatism continued its advance Tuesday."

Will notes that it was an expensive war of choice incompetently waged that was the major reason for the GOP defeat - as well as profligate spending and intrusion into people's lives.  He notes that the Democrats won by actually practicing the diversity they preach, wooing and successfully electing a number of conservative candidates such as Heath Shuler in North Carolina and James Webb in Virginia and dropped litmus tests on gun control and abortion rights.  Will notes that various conservative ballot initiaties on gay marriage, eminent domain, imposing energy taxes, and repealing affirmative action that passed despite the Democrats' groundswell. 

Will says that the change of government is more normal than the 44 years of Democrat control of Congress - and that for the Democrats to stay in power will demand a balancing act by Speaker Pelosi.  Whethe she panders too much to the party's fringes may result in a future drubbing as the GOP has sustained in 2006.