'I Don't Know What Happened'

LA PORTE, Ind., Nov. 8, 2006 — -- Walk the streets of the 2nd Congressional District in La Porte and the word you hear over and over is "change."

A woman on Jefferson Street hurried by me outside a local coffee shop, so I only had time to throw a very basic question her way: "What was the message of this election?"

"Just change," she said.

When asked whether the message was that simple, she said, "Yes. I think as simple as that."

And so it went in this town, which I visited less than two weeks ago. Then, the assessment from would-be voters was that most everybody in town was frustrated with the course of the country under President Bush.

Today we learned the obvious consequence of that feeling, after Republican Rep. Chris Chocola was routed by Democratic challenger Joe Donnelly.

Chocola was one of three Republican incumbents in Indiana sent packing on Tuesday. They were all defeated before midnight.

Reactions Over Breakfast

The frustration with the GOP was so deep that many voters told ABC News they had selected Donnelly even though they were unclear where he stood on a number of issues, and had no comment on where the national party stood as well.

"I'm not really confident, but I'm hoping it's going to be an improvement," said civil rights lawyer Cheryl Stephan.

"I'm a little wary," said homemaker Teresa Oross, who less than 24 hours earlier had voted Democratic.

Beth Bokhart of South Bend voted Republican and is not optimistic.

"I think they're just going to stonewall anything the president wants to do," she said of the new Democratic Congress.

But Minnie L. Shaw said Iraq had made it easy for her to vote Democratic.

"I would like for them to bring our boys home," she said over breakfast. "I would like that."

Edna Andrews, also of South Bend, said she hoped Democrats would give a boost to the economy.

Diona Jones, on the other hand, said she was simply hoping for honesty.

The Democratic wave broke right over Lisa Piewrzakowski, a Republican running for township trustee. She lost by just 300 votes to a Democrat.

"Yes," she said as she bundled up some crumpled campaign signs. "It was a Democratic year."

And it was a Democratic year in an area typically considered red.

"I thought it was too," Piewrzakowski said. "I don't know what happened."