What I Learned

Here is a brief list of what I learned:

1. A campaign manager has to be visible. He can't be tucked away in Washington available only by phone.

2. Fundraising is important. Real important.

3. Communications/PR is also important.

4. Non-traditional campaign strategies must compliment/suppliment traditional strategies.

5. Nice guys finish last.

6. Carpetbaggers finish in second.

7. Two-term incumbents are hard to beat. Real hard.

8. The party establishment should stay out of primaries, but they won't.

9. Candidates who have issue statements that read like bumper stickers aren't that bright, but that doesn't really matter much in the grand scheme of things.

10. Endorsements don't mean a thing.

I'll have a more extensive post-mortem at some point when I look at all the final numbers and breakdowns, but these are my initial impressions...