You might have expected the Pennsylvania Senate race to provide a glimmer of optimism in an ugly political landscape.
Just consider how unusual the parameters of the race were from the outset: A two-term senator retires, leaving a vacant seat in one of the country's bellwether states at a time when the Senate is split 50/50. Both major political parties see their preferred candidates go down in flames in the primaries as voters flock to anti-establishment choices. Since the race is one of the most important in the country, suddenly, two political outsiders have a national stage from which to broadcast new ideas and solutions.
