Republican candidates rode a wave of voter discontent to reclaim control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, but that anger also produced a backlash that enabled Democrats to keep control of the Senate. Divided government will assure those who believe that "he who governs best, governs least." Unfortunately, inaction — if not paralysis — does not bode well for Americans as Washington grapples with crucial challenges.

Historically, the party in power loses seats in midterm elections. Two years in office invariably leads to disappointment among voters. This year was no exception. After claiming the White House and both houses of Congress in 2008, the Democrats were swamped in this week's voting, losing at least 60 seats — and their majority — in the House of Representatives and at least six seats in the Senate.

The reckoning was bigger this year for two reasons: First, the economic downturn and persistent 9.6 percent unemployment raised voter anxieties and a sense that the Democrats were not focused on or unable to deal with the country's most pressing problems. Second, the scale of the 2008 Democratic win meant that the inevitable swing to the opposition would be jarring.