In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine has grown increasingly unpopular -- 38 percent favorable and 48 percent unfavorable, according to a recent Fairleigh Dickinson poll. Republicans are rallying their party behind former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.

Corzine, who made millions on Wall Street as head of Goldman Sachs and spent $43 million on his last race, will plow whatever it takes into his re-election campaign. Veteran election trackers there say anyone with that much cash should not be underestimated. But Democrats this time around are worried that, even with his vast wealth, he could be pulled down by a worsening recession that has hit the state hard.

Meanwhile, the House remains firmly in the Democrats' grip. The GOP holds 178 seats and would need to win an insurmountable 40 more to put them into the majority.

But Republican prospects appear brighter in some districts they lost last year because of President Bush's unpopularity, the high Democratic Party energy level fueled by Obama's campaign and a severe recession.

Democrats do have better fundraising resources this time, because the party in power draws more money from special interests seeking influence on Capitol Hill.

But House Democrats face drawbacks, too. "They also currently hold many Republican-leaning, conservative districts, making those incumbents vulnerable to a likely drop-off in turnout in a midterm year," election tracker Stuart Rothenberg reported in his House Outlook for 2010.

"While it's far too early to put a number on net changes this cycle, Republicans simply have more opportunities for pickups than do Democrats," he said.

It goes without saying that the Senate is all but a lost cause next year for Republicans. Four GOP seats are at best tossups right now: Sen. Jim Bunning in Kentucky, who barely squeaked by in his last election, and three open seats in Florida, Missouri and Ohio, where Democrats have shown increasing strength.

Several other GOP incumbents face tough races in North Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and especially in Louisiana, where Sen. David Vitter is in trouble over his connection to a prostitution ring.

It's not a pretty picture for Republicans overall, but gains among the state governorships and in the House next year would show there is still life left in the GOP and that last year's obituaries were a bit premature.