Overwhelming

Against the Odds. The Democratic House gains are particularly remarkable because of the structural obstacles the Republicans had built while in power--notably extreme gerrymandering, incumbency, the power of the White House (which seems to have backfired), and fundraising. When you hear commentators such as George Will say that the Democratic gains are average for the sixth year of a presidency, remember that the playing field this year tilted Republican. Apparently, the national mood tilted sharply Democratic.