I must admit that Tuesday’s election was a bit odd for me. For the first time in nearly two decades, I spent it as a spectator rather than a participant. In ordinary times, I would have missed the push and pull, the spirited debates about the size and scope of government. I was content to sit this one out.

After all the machinations, the conventional wisdom held. The House will now be under Democratic control while Republicans will maintain the majority in the Senate. We are under divided government again, the type of government that, in my opinion, usually delivers the best results, because it forces the parties to work together.

The big question for Republicans is whether we believe in anything that is in any way coherent, beyond the current cult of the president’s personality. What is the Republican Party today, and what kind of party do we want to be in the future?