Best Candidate of 2014 (Cory Garner) -- and lessons for 2016

Washington Post ^ | 11/10/2014 | Chris Cillizza

[only1percent]

...[I]t's immediately apparent that Senate Republicans did an outstanding job of recruiting this cycle. Capito ran one of the best campaigns in a non-competitive race in the country. McConnell was, as usual, outstanding. Gillespie came from nowhere to almost upset the single most popular politician in Virginia. And Ernst is a rising national star. But, when you look at the totality of the campaign, it's clear that Cory Gardner was the single best candidate of the 2014 election.

[only1percent]

Conservatives need to focus like a laser on what Cory Gardner got done. Winning in a Democrat-leaning state with a growing non-white population is a trick that we're going to have to repeat half a dozen times in 2016 to take the Presidency and hold on to a Senate majority.

[lee martell]

When Cory appeared on a campaign video praising Udall and his dad was immediately followed by Udall’s people screaming foul! and that they were ‘outraged’ at this disrespectful treatment, I knew Cory was getting very close to winning, and win he did, BIG!

[Shery]

That was a good campaign, but personally, I liked Dave Brat’s campaign. He won by actually going door-to-door and meeting people. I realize that would be difficult for a presidential run, but to go door-to-door in some cities would be a real advantage...and it doesn’t have to be the candidate in person. People want to see a real person, ask questions about the candidate, etc. Knocking on the door and doing the groundwork shows the candidate’s interest in each voter.