You could (and I did) write off Alabama as a result driven by a uniquely bad candidate. In Pennsylvania, however, the GOP threw everything it had, including steel tariffs, to support a decent (if uninspiring) candidate, and seems to have lost, anyway.
It would appear that, barring a successful military adventure or culture war crisis, we are looking at a wave election, particularly when you consider that the economy could only be worse in November than it is today. Individual GOP candidates will consequently be faced with a choice: run towards or away from Trump. Some will choose one, some the other, but I think most will reach the conclusion that Trump’s shadow is inescapable, and double down on him.
For their part, the Democrats seem to have found success by refusing to sweat the ideological details and talking up labor issues. I will have more to say on that point tomorrow.