Americans wanted to keep the country they know, and said so Tuesday. Now it’s time for responsible Republicans to take their party back from the fringe that loses them elections.

It’s not true that Republicans needed better candidates. They had excellent contenders. The problem was that the electable ones couldn’t leap the lunacy barrier erected by the right wing. They couldn’t clinch nominations. Or they withdrew from races in the face of the party base’s social nastiness, scientific ignorance and fiscal irresponsibility.

In Indiana, Republicans had the superb Sen. Richard Lugar – a sure shot for re-election. Lugar was a statesman who refused to transform himself into a right-wing gargoyle during the primary. The party replaced him with a tea-party favorite, who like the Republican loser in the Missouri Senate race, made weird comments about rape during the campaign.