It Takes Two ...

Govs.-elect Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell were the biggest winners, while NY-23's Doug Hoffman was the biggest loser. But who else came out on top last p.m.? And who came up short?

Winners:

-- Dede Scozzafava: Hoffman underperformed in Dede's base in the Watertown media market, suggesting that her endorsement of Bill Owens was a major factor in helping him win this seat.

-- Indie voters: Always a powerful group, they broke heavily for GOPers in NJ and VA (after lining up for Dems and Pres. Obama in '08), guaranteeing they'll be heavily courted in '10. Said one smart strategist to The Hotline this a.m.: Indies are "starting to understand their power."

-- VP Biden: The only member of the WH team to stump for a winner (Owens) and Romney (the only '12 GOPer who backed Christie and McDonnell, but opted to stay out of NY-23).

Losers:

-- Sarah Palin: McDonnell and Christie stayed as far away from her as possible -- and they won. Hoffman didn't, and he didn't. In fact, in NY-23 it's probably fair to say Palin proved to be more polarizing than Pelosi.

-- Pete Sessions: Under his leadership, the NRCC has gone 0-2 in special elections. The NRCC can blame the "process" in NY, but the reality is that a stronger leader would have tried to fix the mess before it blew up into a full-fledged disaster. Should House GOPers be worried about his ability to lead the charge in '10?

-- Club For Growth: Fairly or not, a lot of the blame for Hoffman's loss will be laid at their feet. But it does raise the question, should FL's Marco Rubio really want to be the next "cause célèbre" for conservatives? Sure it helps him in the primary, but will this give Kendrick Meek an opening for attack in a general?