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You hear that every now and then from the Gatekeepers.
Hogwash.
One thing I learned over and over again this cycle: when the wind is not at your back, campaigns matter.
Yes, there are all kinds of factors in play, some national, some systemic, some quite shallow. There was the avalanche of pro-GOP money on the TeeVee, radio, and in our mailboxes, directed at some candidates more than others. And the candidate herself or himself is of great importance, of course.
But campaigns matter. How nimble they are, how aggressive they are, how grassroots they are, how they raise money, how they cultivate relationships to old and new media, the expenditure decisions they make at critical moments, and most importantly, how they define the candidate and the message to voters.
I'd take more wins over knowing this any day of the week, but again, the lesson pounded into me over and over this cycle was that in an uphill climb, campaigns matter.
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