Republicans made gains across the length and breadth of the country, and they now hold a majority in the lower chamber.
The Grand Old Party has so far gained 54 House seats in 31 states including some in the key areas of Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Indeed, some of the results have been a little too close to home for Mr Obama with his old Senate seat in Illinois being one of those which fell to the Republicans.
Mr Obama could only console himself with the fact that it could have been worse as, despite that loss, the Democrats still retained control of the Senate.
However, even in the upper house, the Democrats have lost six seats although there was only slight evidence of the Tea Party movement helping the Republicans' cause.
The first of the Tea Party successes came early as Rand Paul easily held onto the Kentucky Senate and promised a "Tea Party tidal wave" in his acceptance speech.
But the tidal wave never actually arrived.
Marco Rubio won the three-way fight to become Florida senator and Nikki Haley won in the South Carolina gubernatorial election but there were disappointments for the movement's bigger names.
Its most high-profile candidate Christine O'Donnell was routed in Delaware Senate race by Chris Coons, and the Democrats also gained the House seat there.
Ms O'Donnell had beaten moderate Republican Mike Castle in the primary and it looks like that choice cost the Republicans a chance in a Senate seat which they really would have fancied.
In Nevada, Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle targeted Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid. Exit polls suggested Ms Angle was set for what would have been a significant victory but the results had Mr Reid holding onto his seat with a fair degree of comfort.
Nevertheless, the night was still much worse for the Democrats. The Republicans' capture of the House means Mr Obama must now make compromises or else face stalemate in Washington.
Already, Mr Obama has offered an olive leaf to his political opponents but these are unusually partisan times in US politics.
Certain Republicans, particularly those with Tea Party links, look set to resist negotiations without an overhaul of the reforms which Mr Obama has managed to get passed during his first two years.
For a start, the new Republican House speaker John Boehner has vowed to repeal the controversial universal healthcare bill, referring to it as a "monstrosity".
This is despite the fact that it actually became massively watered down from the original idea after opposition from Democrats as well as Republicans.
That lack of support from Democrats for Mr Obama was evident again in these elections with several of his party's candidates distancing themselves from him.
But undoubtedly the high level of unemployment - 9.2% - and the state of the economy is the main reason for the Democrats' bad result.
The result is hardly without precedence, though, and it is certainly not an end-game for Mr Obama's chances of retaining the presidency in 2012.
In fact, it is traditional for Americans to use the mid-term elections as a way of checking a president. Ronald Reagan lost 26 House seats in 1982 and Bill Clinton lost 54 House seats in a 1994 mid-term thumping.
Both had lower approval figures than Mr Obama's current position and yet, having overseen economic recoveries, both were re-elected for a second term as President in 1984 and 1996 respectively.
However, of concern to Mr Obama will be the 11 gains made by the Republicans in the gubternorial elections, especially those in big states such as Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Whoever the Republican candidate for 2012 is, he or she will have a big advantage when campaigning in these states with a Republican Governor in situ.
With that in mind, it really is advantage to the Republicans for 2012.
But, if Sarah Palin gets her way and a Tea Party candidate wins in the primaries and the caucuses, then who knows what will happen?
After all, the Tea Party's right-wing scare tactics were hardly an unequivicol success in these elections and they are still less likely to stand up in a national sphere.
Elected on 2nd November: State-by-state guide ((nc)=no change) *=still awaiting full result
ALABAMA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 6 Republicans (+1) 1 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
ALASKA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 1 Republican (nc)
Governor: Republican (hold)
ARIZONA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 5 Republicans (+2) 3 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Republican (hold)
ARKANSAS
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 3 Republican (+2) 1 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
CALIFORNIA
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 20 Republicans (nc) 33 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Democrat (gain)
COLORADO
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 4 Republicans (+2) 3 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
CONNECTICUT
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 5 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Democrat (gain)
DELAWARE
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 1 Democrat (+1)
FLORIDA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 19 Republicans (+4) 6 Democrats (-4)
Governor: Republican (gain)
GEORGIA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 8 Republicans (nc) 5 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Republican (hold)
HAWAII
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 2 Democrat (+1)
Governor: Democrat (gain)
IDAHO
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 2 Republican (+1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
ILLINOIS
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 11 Republicans (+4) 8 Democrats (-4)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
INDIANA
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 6 Republicans (+2) 3 Democrats (-2)
IOWA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 2 Republicans (nc) 3 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Republican (gain)
KANSAS
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 4 Republicans (+1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
KENTUCKY
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 4 Republicans (nc) 2 Democrats (nc)
LOUISIANA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 6 Republicans (nc) 1 Democrats (nc)
MAINE
House: 2 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Republican (gain)
MARYLAND
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 2 Republicans (+1) 6 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
MASSACHUSETTS
House: 10 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
MICHIGAN
House: 9 Republicans (+2) 6 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Republican (gain)
*MINNESOTA
House: 4 Republicans (+1) 4 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Republican undeclared
MISSISSIPPI
House: 3 Republican (+2) 1 Democrats (-2)
MISSOURI
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 6 Republicans (+1) 3 Democrats (-1)
MONTANA
House: 1 Republican (nc)
NEBRASKA
House: 3 Republicans (nc)
Governor: Republican (hold)
NEVADA
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 2 Republican (+1) 1 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 2 Republicans (+2)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
NEW JERSEY
House: 6 Republicans (+1) 7 Democrats (-1)
NEW MEXICO
House: 1 Republican (+1) 2 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Republican (gain)
*NEW YORK
Senate: 2 Democrats (both holds)
House: 7 Republicans (+5) 21 Democrats (-5) 1 undeclared
Governor: Democrat (hold)
NORTH CAROLINA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 6 Republicans (+1) 7 Democrats (-1)
NORTH DAKOTA
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 1 Republican (+1)
OHIO
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 13 Republicans (+5) 5 Democrats (-5)
Governor: Republican (gain)
OKLAHOMA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 4 Republicans (nc) 1 Democrat (nc)
Governor: Republican (gain)
OREGON
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 1 Republican (nc) 4 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Democrat (hold)
PENNSYLVANIA
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 12 Republicans (+5) 7 Democrats (-5)
Governor: Republican (gain)
RHODE ISLAND
House: 2 Democrats (nc)
Governor: Independent (gain)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 5 Republicans (+1) 1 Democrats (-1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
SOUTH DAKOTA
Senate: 1 Republican (uncontested)
House: 1 Republican (+1)
Governor: Republican (hold)
TENNESSEE
House: 7 Republicans (+3) 2 Democrats (-3)
Governor: Republican (gain)
TEXAS
House: 23 Republicans (+2) 9 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Republican (hold)
UTAH
Senate: 1 Republican (hold)
House: 2 Republicans (nc) 1 Democrat (nc)
Governor: Republican (hold)
VERMONT
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 1 Democrat (nc)
Governor: Democrat (gain)
VIRGINIA
House: 8 Republicans (+3) 3 Democrats (-3)
WASHINGTON
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 4 Republicans (+1) 5 Democrats (-1)
WEST VIRGINIA
Senate: 1 Democrat (hold)
House: 2 Republican (+1) 1 Democrats (-1)
WISCONSIN
Senate: 1 Republican (gain)
House: 5 Republicans (+2) 3 Democrats (-2)
Governor: Republican (gain)
WYOMING
House: 1 Republican (nc)
Governor: Republican (gain)
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