John Sides advises:
MUCH more interesting is not “what it means” but “what POLITICIANS think it means.” Even though their perceptions may extrapolate well beyond the available data, it still matters whether they think that NY26 was an outlier, a harbinger of a voter backlash against GOP policies, a sign that Democrats can gain ground in 2012 by accusing the GOP of endangering Medicare, or what have you.
The Dish 