Lincoln was a moderate Democrat barely holding on in a conservative state, but Mike Castle had never lost a race, and his primary upset by Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell “was a body blow,” he says. Back home in Delaware, Castle hasn’t come close to finding a new calling: “Nothing’s floored me to the point where I’d say ‘I’ll take it’ … Whatever it is, I can’t imagine it will be as rewarding as elected office, it’s very disconcerting.”

Deprived of a full-time staff, Castle is driving himself around more than usual. His aides gave him an iPad for Christmas, (“I’m a little technologically unsound”) and, well, he misses them. Castle has counted 62 books on his shelves he plans to read to help him through the weeks and months ahead. “There’s going to be an empty feeling, but I’ve had a good run, and I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.” His wife, Jane, has suggested he think about retiring altogether. “He misses the structure that work gave him. But I’ve enjoyed having him home,” she says. “It’s also nice to be able to say ‘Hey, would you mind going to the grocery store?’”