If you look at the numbers, compared with the turnouts of the previous four elections, what you see is an electorate that decided, in large part, to stay home. Owens won on a party-line vote (with less votes than the previous three Dem candidates had polled against the popular McHugh) and Hoffman didn't manage to poll better than past Conservative (party) candidates. The conclusion I'd take away is: the politics of purity and hatred is not going to build anything for the GOP. You can get people to vote against gay marriage, sure, but hardcore social conservatives need to work through the party and sell themselves as fiscal managers and unthreatening nice guys (like McDonnell) if they want to win. The tea parties are good for scaring people, but not good for building voting pluralities.