Ed Rogers, White House staffer to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush:

The biggest losers were Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A big portion of the Democratic congressional caucus just became a lot more nervous and leery of tough votes than they were yesterday. A watered-down bill called health-care reform’s “first step” will pass, but forget about cap-and-trade in 2010 or a climate-energy bill.

The White House wasted Obama’s popularity by having a national message about health care when voters care about jobs and the economy. But maybe this was a fortuitous time for the Obama team to learn its lesson.

Tony Fratto: President George W. Bush’s deputy press secretary, September 2006 to January 2009:

One revelation is that President Obama campaigning in the major races apparently had no net effect. I was surprised to see Democrats trumpeting exit polls showing that Obama was a “non-factor” in the New Jersey governor’s race. A “non-factor” president has real implications for the Obama agenda — on health care, climate and spending in particular. Getting the Obama agenda through Congress requires a president who is feared and respected.

Ed Gillespie, former chair of the Republican National Committee, general chairman of the Bob McDonnell’s successful gubernatorial campaign in Virginia:

Some in the White House are trying to lay blame for the defeat in Virginia on Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds’ failure to embrace the president and his policies. This ignores how much the Obama administration’s support for cap-and-trade, organized labor, government-run health care and rampant spending hurt Deeds with independent voters.

Some Republicans are concluding that the Virginia governor’s race was a referendum on President Obama and that we can make major gains in next year’s midterms simply by running against him. This ignores the fact that while Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell benefited from voter concerns over Congress and the White House, he ran on a positive, detailed policy agenda.

There are lessons in the Virginia governor’s race for both parties, but Republicans nationally would do well to take a few pages from McDonnell’s playbook. Here are five:

• Convert conservative principles into practical policies — and finish the sentence. McDonnell laid out policy initiatives rooted in a commitment to lower taxes, less regulation and innovation, and finished the sentence by explaining to independent voters why they are the better alternatives.

• Run inclusive campaigns. Instead of indulging in the anti-immigration rhetoric of past Republican campaigns, McDonnell appealed to the growing Hispanic and Asian-American enclaves of Northern Virginia, where his message of entrepreneurship, educational opportunity and strong families resonated.

• Use language voters want from their elected leaders. When asked to comment on the president campaigning in Virginia for his opponent, McDonnell responded that “the president of the United States is always welcome in the commonwealth.”

• Match the Left’s use of technology. The Obama campaign blazed electronic trails in 2008. The McDonnell campaign used social media networks, texting and e-mail.

• Back strong candidates. Elections are ultimately choices between two people vying for the same job.

(These comments originally appeared in the Washington Post.)