I like Kathy Barnette in premise, and I think she'd be a pretty good US senator, but in practice, she has shown that she has a lot of work to do to be a success at that statewide level.
Taking a cheap "wifebeater" shot at Sean Parnell on twitter was a big tell for me, might have changed some last minute votes. Announcing on election day that she won't support the other candidates if they win is another misstep. She doesn't have to actually support those other candidates, maybe she curries clout and favor by picking some local swing districts and works for those candidates where she was most successful, but by making that explicit statement, it not only looks like sour grapes, it makes that statement the first question any journalist is going to ask her if she pops up on the campaign trail and it hurts her chances in future elections because whether we like it or not, party politics depends on building networks.
Building networks.
That’s right. Even in the age of high speed internet, politics remains primarily a hands on, face to face, relationship building method of serving the voters.
You cannot do it alone, no matter how right you think you are.