( CNN ) -- Almost everything that can be said about Tuesday night 's elections has been said , so with some trepidation , a few afterthoughts : . • The verdicts in the 2014 midterm races make it clear that President Barack Obama can not simply blame Democratic losses on a bad map , as he did Tuesday . ( The President passed off the elections as taking place in states least favorable for Democrats `` since Eisenhower . '' ) It should be sobering for the White House that when Obama took office , Democrats had 59 senators and 256 House members ; after Tuesday night , they will likely have 45-47 senators and some 190 House members . That is one of the biggest slides in congressional seats of any modern president . Surely , his White House has to take serious responsibility -- and look for ways to leave a better legacy . • This was an unexpectedly big night for the GOP : Predictions for Republicans were already high , but they blew the doors off . Who could have imagined Republicans winning the governorships of Maryland and Massachusetts , winning Senate seats in Obama states such as Colorado and Iowa , and assembling their biggest coalition in the House of Representatives since the 1940s . Conservatives will likely disagree , but one takeaway for Republicans is that they were well served this year by recruiting conservatives whom voters saw as less hard right than the tea party . Look at Cory Gardner of Colorado : The GOP establishment intentionally promoted him as an alternative in Colorado who -- unlike Ken Buck , a tea partyer who lost a few years ago ( but won the conservative 4th Congressional District this year ) -- would appeal to moderates as well as conservatives . Even The Denver Post endorsed him -- just as The Boston Globe endorsed Republican Charlie Baker , who wrested the Massachusetts State House from Democrats . • A bright spot from Tuesday night that needs more attention : The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University reports Americans will now have at least 100 women in Congress -- a three-fold increase over 25 years . Women such as Joni Ernst , Shelley Moore Capito and Jeanne Shaheen also won pivotal Senate races . Past experience says that the more women leaders in Congress , the more likely the two sides will find common ground . • Tuesday night also witnessed the election of a fourth generation of the Bush family elected to public office . George P. Bush , the son of Jeb , won statewide office in Texas as land commissioner . His great-grandfather was Prescott Bush , a U.S. senator ( and almost Ike 's vice presidential running mate ) ; his grandfather was President George H.W . Bush ; his father was governor of Florida and his uncle was President . Will his dad now declare his own candidacy for the presidency ? Tuesday night 's results probably make it more likely . • For this observer , this election night was especially sweet because of the breakthrough victory by a young man I have known and supported for 15 years : Seth Moulton , a Democrat who swept to a double-digit victory as a new congressman from the North Shore of Massachusetts . Seth has three degrees from Harvard and four tours in Iraq as a Marine infantry officer . More than that , he is a model among a rising generation of leaders who I believe can transform our politics . I wrote about him and others of his generation in a recent column on CNN.com . Congratulations , Seth ! ( Note : An earlier version of this article said there will be at least 100 women in the House ; that number applies to the entire Congress . )
David Gergen : President has to find shrinking Democratic ranks in Congress sobering . Gergen says Republicans were smart in their choice of more moderate candidates this year . At least 100 women will serve in Congress , a threefold increase over 25 years . Gergen : Here comes another generation of the Bush family in public office .