In the pages of the Wall Street Journal  today, Stephen Hayes examines why election night television commentators are going to need to stock up on red paint to cover the swath of territory that constitutes the (once blue) Midwest.  Hayes does an excellent job of explaining why this stunning reversal--most vividly seen in the bellwether state of Ohio--cannot be dismissed as a mere reflection of anger in the service of some hazy perception of economic interest.  He argues that the policies of the Obama Democrats have been more than just an affront to the economy.  They have been an assault on deeply held Midwestern notions of justice and right--at the same time that they have evinced a blatant, blustering and arrogant disregard for earning the consent of the people there: 

The values that have long been associated with the Midwest are almost anachronistic in the Obama era. Thrift, hard work, common sense--the messages and policies coming out of Washington seem to disregard these once-revered virtues. As voters in the Midwest and across the country found themselves increasingly worried about the economy and government spending, Democrats in Washington, led by the White House, changed the subject to health care.

Do read the whole thing.