A week after the Democratic primary, and I'm still waiting to hear a good reason why Terry McAuliffe lost. He had it all - money, buzz, Bill Clinton and endorsements.
Blue Virginia has a nice post on what didn't work in the primaries. Lots of good thoughts there. But I'm still puzzled - how did McAuliffe's support dry up the last two weeks? How did so many people get the race so wrong?
McAuliffe, like Obama, was the cool kid. People joined him because they thought he was on the winning team. He hit a rough patch and the bandwagon emptied. He wasn't cool anymore. Creigh Deeds became the blank slate that put their hopes and dreams on.
President Obama has personal popularity, but in governing you're going to make enemies. You're going to disappoint your friends. Can he stay cool through the tough times?
McAuliffe's "friends" bailed on him. When the going got tough, he found himself alone and the loser. With an office full of useless "McAuliffe for Virginia" signs.
Even if it's not being publicized, I'm sure Democratic political thinkers are probing McAuliffe's demise for lessons so the same fate doesn't befall them.
No comments:
Post a Comment