Then there's Iraq. If the election was a referendum on Bush's handling of it — and polls indicate that it was — the president lost big. No other issue was more important to voters in pre-election polls. Dissatisfaction with Bush's Iraq policy was particularly strong among Democrats and independents.

Up to now, Bush has shown little interest in changing course — in Iraq or in his domestic policy. Will Tuesday's election lead him to a different path?

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday night that the results were "not what we would've hoped." He said Democrats would have to find solutions to the nation's problems. "The president has got a very active agenda for the next two years and you're going to need both parties," he said.

One clue to Bush's thinking will be the fate of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who's become a target of bipartisan criticism. Bush declared his support for Rumsfeld as recently as last week, but the pre-election endorsement might make it easier for Rumsfeld to say that he's leaving voluntarily.

No matter what happens with Rumsfeld, Bush can expect growing pressure to change his Iraq strategy if the situation fails to improve.

The recommendations from a special commission headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, scheduled for release in December or January, could provide a rallying point for advocates of change.

On domestic issues, Bush has reached across party lines before, both as governor of Texas and early in his presidency. Party rancor has increased dramatically in recent years, but there are still some issues that could provide common ground.

Some analysts rank immigration as the most likely candidate for bipartisan cooperation. Democrats are generally more receptive than Republicans to Bush's proposed guest-worker program. Modest tax reforms offer another opportunity. Lobbying reforms and other good-government responses to recent scandals could win bipartisan approval as well.