Anybody have data on how this election compares to U.S. elections in recent history? This felt like a historic whooping, dang. Florida and Alabama almost went blue, Texas and Georgia saw double-digit blue results, etc.

It was the Democrats' best showing since 2006-2008. However, in those days, Texas was firmly red, but Oklahoma actually had a Democratic governor. So it's not a 1:1 comparison. Democrats got the ACA passed in a very brief two month period in 2009 when they had a flibuster-proof majority. Two years later, however, came what Obama famously called the "shellacking."

It is hard to say without seeing the lasting impact. The final numbers are going to be roughly 2008-like (upper-50's Dem senate; >250 HoR) but then all of those gains were washed out in the 2010 Tea Party wave. 

Alternatively, if nothing fundamentally changes and things get worse, we can see an even  more devastating election for Republicans in 2028.

We could be entering a new party system, especially if we enter a recession, that brings us into a period of multi-decade majority/minority party status. Akin to the GOP after the Civil War, and the Democratic Party after the Great Depression. Those periods were essentially 1.5 party systems. Where the minor party was a moderate version of the major party.

We'll see if the GOP moderates. That is the only way it probably survives the political death of its Dear Leader. 

I do agree. I know the GOP has been around 1854, but they can't stay the MAGA course forever. I don't even think changing a few things and being more like Reagan is enough for them to survive. 

For them to survive, I think they need to be like Dwight Eisenhower, if we're using a presidential example. They have to cede some economic ground to Democrats and become more socially moderate for the times. But who knows, maybe they still survive for a long time no matter what. 

The Dems are even older, starting in 1828. Interestingly, Dem voters in FDR's time had most of the progressive voters in the country and also many conservatives (Jim Crow supporters, for one). 

The two major parties have somehow survived for a very long time and have shifted nationally and at smaller levels. 

Many countries with elements of democracy have more than two parties holding significant seats. The USA is not one of those countries. The two-party system has dominated the majority of its history.