McClatchy Washington Bureau

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This editorial appeared in The Lexington Herald-Leader.

Congratulations to Sen. Mitch McConnell, who withstood the anti-Bush tide to win a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

As the race unexpectedly tightened in recent weeks, McConnell's fate was seen as a gauge of voters' dissatisfaction with Republican policies. A McConnell loss would have signaled a total rout. So his survival is good news for the GOP.

While national observers were looking at the race as a bellwether, voters in Kentucky seemed to think of it as a choice between the lesser of two evils.

At least that's what independent opinion polling suggested.

Fewer than half of likely voters had a favorable view of McConnell's job performance.

To read the complete editorial, visit The Lexington Herald-Leader.