The projected incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner struck a low-key tone here at the Hyatt in downtown DC, adressing Republicans’ sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

“This is not a time for celebration,” Boehner said, citing the stubbornly high unemployment rate. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”

Republicans said at the outset that they wanted to avoid similar images to Democrats’ celebrating their victories in 2006, and the event was much more subdued than the typical election night parties.

Boehner said that Americans had delivered a clear message to Obama: “Change course.”

At one point, Boehner became choked up when he discussed how he spent his childhood waiting tables at his father’s bar. “I’ve spent my whole life chasing the American Dream,” he said.

It should be interesting to see whether this helps humanize him a bit, and stave off efforts to stigmatize him as Newt Gingrich was when Republicans won in 1994.