[Keith]

Simon was a loser from day one, he only had a chance as Davis did everything he could to self destruct. It takes a long time to build an organization, and CA was written off long ago, with Rove having to focus on where he had the best chance to pick up the seats to return to majority.

And they did it...in an off-year, an almost unprecedented event...why do conservative seem to be so resistant to appreciating good fortune when it happens? And instead say, why couldn't we have gotten more?

sheesh.

[RAT Patrol]

Neither another Davis nor a Riordan nor any other Republican is ever going to win in California again unless the conservative and moderate wings unify. Bush should have stayed out of the primary. He only increased the bitterness between the two ideological sides of the same party.

You can have a huge Republican majority in your state and still suffer from this problem. The mushies love to sell the concept that they are more electable. But they need conservatives as much as conservatives need them. RATs vote RAT in general elections. They do like to play with Republcan primaries. But they only succeed because we allow it by our own infighting.

Primaries are and should be principled fights. But general elections should be about loyalty. That's the equation that works.

There are plenty of issues that divide RATs from other RATs as well as RATs from borderline Republicans. We should emphasize those divisions. Watch them squabble for awhile.

[legman]

The battle is over the political center, isn't it? Who would have given W. any chance about making headway on the abortion battle? Not many. But he is doing it by taking measured, well-thoughtout steps (i.e. Partial Birth Abortions).

A biased media and 8 years of "Slick Willie" has characterized conservatives as the villians. Change minds one issue at a time. Find conservative solutions to "hot button" issues of "Dim" constituencies.

A Pat Buchanon "take no prisoners" approach would never be given a chance, even when he is right. You must be able to sell the message to the political middle. That is where this President is having success.

[RAT Patrol]

I didn't mean Davis, I meant Simon, of course.