FOR Republicans, Brian Bilbray’s narrow victory to keep disgraced former representative Duke Cunningham’s seat in the GOP column was certainly better than the alternative. But the good news stops there. It was a solidly Republican district that the GOP had to scratch and claw to hold. The national party isn’t going to be able to pour countless Hill staffers and $5 million into every Republican district where a GOP candidate is underperforming this fall.
In general, Republicans should avoid the temptation to hope for the best. Hope is the enemy. Hope is the father of comforting but ultimately self-defeating illusion. Republicans shouldn’t tell themselves that California means the national political environment isn’t so bad; that they can safely run on local issues; that the Democrats don’t have an agenda; that the Republican base can be energized solely on the basis of fear at the prospect of Speaker Pelosi; that people are mad at Congress but still like their own congressman.
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