There was a lot more to the loss of NY9 by the Democrats than a "referendum" on Obama. The campaign for the seat took a particularly vicious turn via GOP mailer:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/polit...en-ugly/42347/
The truth is, aside from voter anger over Weiner's action's and the associated taint it put on any potenetial Democratic candidate for the seat, there were a great many local issues within the district and the City of NY influencing the voters. To take the loss of one House seat out of 435 total seats as a sign of the rise of the GOP and the fall of the Democrats and Obama is a bit premature. The GOP has only to look back at the heavy loss they took after the launch of their "Contract with America" during the Clinton administration (including the loss af two consecutive House Speakers within a month's time after demonstrating their adherence to 'family values') and the losses suffered during the midterms in George W's last term to realize that any gain, is at best, tenuous. Add to the this recent polls, by all types and stripes of pollsters, while showing Obama's approval and popularity falling to 50% or below, the approval and popularity of Congressional Republicans is half that of Obama. Regardless of what Russ, Sean, et al, would have the public believe, the foot of the GOP is very shaky and unless they provide voters with tangible results and not just rhetoric, one seat may be the best they can look forward to....