her opponents managed to portray her as a liberal...
HUH? Seems to me you did that all by yourself.
“Our area had become the battleground for people from outside the congressional district. And after the election is over, all of them will get back on their buses and go back home.”***
I would like pictures, and names of all those folks on buses. You must have them confused with the tactics of the party you seem much more aligned with.
“I was talking to a constituent about the dairy crisis.”
Apparently the crises of conservatism just snuck the heck up on you.
Not to mention the fact that her vote affects people all over the United States. We all have a stake in every election, because of that fact.
She’ll run again in the future. As a democrat!