For Obama, a mandate to be moderate

(By George Will, The Washington Post) - Churchill's wife said that his being turned out of office by British voters in July 1945 -- the war in the Pacific still raged, and he was participating in the Potsdam conference -- might be a blessing in disguise. He replied: It is very well disguised.

Barack Obama might not see the silver lining on the loss of the 60th Democratic Senate vote, but it has several dimensions. Consider four of them.