Missed Opportunity

Texas Republican consultant Bill Miller on the Run Everywhere philosophy necessity ...

Bill Miller, a Republican consultant who has also worked for Democrats, said the Democrats "didn't win more because they didn't field enough candidates."

Miller said President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, told him after the 1994 GOP landslide that his only regret was not running more candidates.

Political seasons like 2006 don't come around very long. But when you look at the previous moments - 1974, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1994 - those moments in time have a way of shaping a much longer period of time than the one year window you get leading up to Election Day.

The so-called political leadership (such that it is) on our side in this beloved state, has a black mark for the missed opportunities in 2006. Fred Baron no only stayed out of the early stages of the statewide races, but he openly signalled that the Democratic Trust would not be actively involved in statewide contests, declaring them all but won by the GOP. Great recruitment effort there. Kelly Fero, quoted in this story about how "those who are honest" in state Dem leadership "may now rue the day" ... nevermind that it was Kelly Fero himself doing his darndest to keep Chris Bell down while John Sharp played his political game of Hamlet. Some in leadership need to be more honest than others, it seems.

Run Everywhere ... that's the lesson from 2006. That is all.