![\"Ken](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dougsbriefcase.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Credit-Huff-Post.jpg\")
<\/a>Ken Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli fell short last night in his bid to become Gov\u00ader\u00adnor of Vir\u00adginia. Is the GOP<\/span> mature enough to accept defeat and find a new way for\u00adward? [Cred\u00adit: Huff\u00adin\u00adg\u00adton Post]<\/p><\/div>Chris Christie and Ter\u00adry McAu\u00adli\u00adffe were both sup\u00adposed to win big in their guber\u00adna\u00adto\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal bids. Christie did; McAu\u00adli\u00adffe didn\u2019t. And that presents Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal Repub\u00adli\u00adcans with a gen\u00aduine oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to make crit\u00adi\u00adcal changes to the President\u2019s health care law. If they don\u2019t squan\u00adder it.\n To under\u00adstand just how unim\u00adpres\u00adsive McAuliffe\u2019s elec\u00adtion was, con\u00adsid\u00ader two things: the polls and the cash. McAu\u00adli\u00adffe out\u00adspent his GOP<\/span> oppo\u00adnent, Ken Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli, $34 mil\u00adlion to $18 mil\u00adlion<\/a>. That\u2019s an enor\u00admous advan\u00adtage that McAu\u00adli\u00adffe deployed to run non-stop ads begin\u00adning last sum\u00admer that accused Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli of advanc\u00ading a bill to ban birth con\u00adtrol, a charge reject\u00aded by the Wash\u00ading\u00adton Post\u2019s fact-check\u00ader<\/a>,<\/span> despite that publication\u2019s endorse\u00adment<\/a> of McAu\u00adli\u00adffe. Dis\u00adtort\u00aded but high\u00adly effec\u00adtive: McAu\u00adli\u00adffe best\u00aded Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli among women, 51\u201342<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then there were the polls. Vir\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly every vot\u00ader sur\u00advey tak\u00aden pri\u00ador to the elec\u00adtion had McAu\u00adli\u00adffe win\u00adning in a rout. The Wash\u00ading\u00adton Post had McAu\u00adli\u00adffe ahead, 51\u201339<\/a>. The Real Clear Pol\u00adi\u00adtics aver\u00adage of the sev\u00aden most recent polls had McAu\u00adli\u00adffe up by 6.7 points<\/a>. Poll\u00adsters bad\u00adly mis\u00adread this race. McAu\u00adli\u00adffe pulled less than 48% of the vote. He won by just over 2 points in an elec\u00adtion where a third-par\u00adty lib\u00ader\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan can\u00addi\u00addate attract\u00aded a 6.5 per\u00adcent share.<\/p>\n McAu\u00adli\u00adffe had every advan\u00adtage through the mid\u00addle of last month \u2013 mon\u00adey, a mis\u00adlead\u00ading mes\u00adsage cal\u00adcu\u00adlat\u00aded to ter\u00adri\u00adfy and enrage women vot\u00aders, and a gov\u00adern\u00adment shut\u00addown that affect\u00aded the hun\u00addreds of thou\u00adsands of fed\u00ader\u00adal work\u00aders and con\u00adtrac\u00adtors who live in North\u00adern Vir\u00adginia. Call\u00ading McAuliffe\u2019s nar\u00adrow win \u201cthe sur\u00adprise elec\u00adtion of the night,\u201d Politi\u00adco<\/a> this morn\u00ading asked, \u201cHow the heck did that happen?\u201d<\/p>\n The num\u00adber one rea\u00adson: Obamacare.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t take Politico\u2019s word for it. Ask the Pres\u00adi\u00addent and his han\u00addlers. In a cam\u00adpaign swing for McAu\u00adli\u00adffe two days before the elec\u00adtion, the Pres\u00adi\u00addent avoid\u00aded men\u00adtion\u00ading his sig\u00adna\u00adture domes\u00adtic pol\u00adi\u00adcy achieve\u00adment<\/a>,<\/span> pre\u00adfer\u00adring instead to talk about the recent gov\u00adern\u00adment shut\u00addown, which had long since van\u00adished from the news cycle, hav\u00ading been sup\u00adplant\u00aded by an end\u00adless suc\u00adces\u00adsion of Oba\u00admacare failings.<\/p>\n Exit polls<\/a> con\u00adfirm the wis\u00addom of that deci\u00adsion. Only a small plu\u00adral\u00adi\u00adty of vot\u00aders (48%-45%) said that Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal Repub\u00adli\u00adcans were more to blame than Pres\u00adi\u00addent Oba\u00adma for the shut\u00addown. But 88% of those who fault\u00aded the GOP<\/span> backed McAu\u00adli\u00adffe. The health care law was quite anoth\u00ader mat\u00adter. Vot\u00aders opposed that, 53\u201346. McAu\u00adli\u00adffe cap\u00adtured only 11 per\u00adcent of Oba\u00admacare oppo\u00adnents, with Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli and Robert Sarvis, the Lib\u00ader\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan can\u00addi\u00addate, shar\u00ading the remain\u00ading 89 percent.<\/p>\n How should the GOP<\/span> respond? First, Repub\u00adli\u00adcans should admit that this was a defeat. Beat\u00ading the spread may be prof\u00aditable in Las Vegas, but elec\u00adtions are black and white. Despite under\u00adper\u00adform\u00ading, Ter\u00adry McAu\u00adli\u00adffe is Virginia\u2019s new Gov\u00ader\u00adnor. Sec\u00adond, they should admit that it was a dev\u00adas\u00adtat\u00ading defeat. Vir\u00adginia once was a reli\u00adably Repub\u00adli\u00adcan state. No longer. The party\u2019s brief revival after the 2009 elec\u00adtions has end\u00aded. Democ\u00adrats now hold both US<\/span> Sen\u00adate seats and two of the three top offices in the Com\u00admon\u00adwealth. They may well pre\u00advail in the Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal race as well, once all the bal\u00adlots have been count\u00aded and, prob\u00ada\u00adbly, recount\u00aded. McAu\u00adli\u00adffe ran, in part, to help deliv\u00ader the state Hillary in 2016, and that must now be con\u00adsid\u00adered the most like\u00adly out\u00adcome. With\u00adout Vir\u00adginia, the road to the White House would be steep\u00ader, more treach\u00ader\u00adous and, per\u00adhaps, impass\u00adable for the 2016 GOP<\/span> standard-bearer.<\/p>\n Third, they should not blame each oth\u00ader. Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli back\u00aders are fault\u00ading the GOP<\/span> estab\u00adlish\u00adment<\/a> for not pour\u00ading more mon\u00adey into Vir\u00adginia. Nation\u00adal Repub\u00adli\u00adcans were as obliv\u00adi\u00adous as pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal poll\u00adsters to McAuliffe\u2019s crum\u00adbling advan\u00adtage. Per\u00adhaps if they had pro\u00advid\u00aded Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli with more resources, he wouldn\u2019t have been car\u00adpet-bombed by neg\u00ada\u00adtive ads. But by the time the cor\u00adro\u00adsive effects of Oba\u00admacare start\u00aded to reg\u00adis\u00adter, vir\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly all the air\u00adtime had already been pur\u00adchased. There was lit\u00adtle oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty for a late ad blitz.<\/p>\n Fourth, they should rec\u00adog\u00adnize that in pol\u00adi\u00adtics, no defeat \u2013 and no vic\u00adto\u00adry \u2013 is final. The most impor\u00adtant elec\u00adtion is the next one, not the one that just occurred. And it is here that their advan\u00adtage lies.<\/p>\n To this point, Repub\u00adli\u00adcans have proven remark\u00adably inca\u00adpable of chan\u00adnel\u00ading pop\u00adu\u00adlar dis\u00adap\u00adproval of the health care law into suc\u00adcess\u00adful leg\u00adisla\u00adtive strat\u00ade\u00adgy. They have wast\u00aded the past 3\u20131\/2 years on pro\u00adpos\u00adals rang\u00ading from the sym\u00adbol\u00adic to the bizarre \u2013 a suc\u00adces\u00adsion of mean\u00ading\u00adless House votes on repeal\u00ading the law, which the Sen\u00adate could safe\u00adly ignore, fol\u00adlowed by the dis\u00adas\u00adtrous deci\u00adsion to shut the gov\u00adern\u00adment down, which the Sen\u00adate was only too hap\u00adpy to accom\u00admo\u00addate. That last deci\u00adsion was espe\u00adcial\u00adly dam\u00adag\u00ading to Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli. One won\u00adders how yesterday\u2019s elec\u00adtion might have turned out had vot\u00aders in Alexan\u00addria, Arling\u00adton, and Fair\u00adfax coun\u00adties not just had their pay\u00adchecks delayed by a cou\u00adple of weeks.<\/p>\n But for all the GOP<\/span> mis\u00adsteps, Oba\u00admacare has nev\u00ader been more unpop\u00adu\u00adlar and Democ\u00adrats have nev\u00ader been more squea\u00admish about it. While their polit\u00adi\u00adcal flaks today are attack\u00ading Chris Christie and tout\u00ading their vic\u00adto\u00adry in Vir\u00adginia as deci\u00adsive and his\u00adtoric, Democ\u00adrats who face elec\u00adtion in 2014 are more wor\u00adried than before about Oba\u00admacare \u2013 and poten\u00adtial\u00adly more will\u00ading to vote with Repub\u00adli\u00adcans to change it.<\/p>\n Democ\u00adrats con\u00adcerned about their elec\u00adtoral prospects aren\u2019t buy\u00ading hap\u00adpy talk from the Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion about fix\u00ading the web\u00adsite. Nor are they sat\u00adis\u00adfied with the President\u2019s line that can\u00adcelling cov\u00ader\u00adage for mil\u00adlions of peo\u00adple was an act of wis\u00addom and com\u00adpas\u00adsion on behalf of the \u201cunder\u00adin\u00adsured<\/a>.\u201d The law\u2019s most fer\u00advent Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal sup\u00adport\u00aders, like Bar\u00adbara Mikul\u00ads\u00adki (D\u2011MD<\/span>), are warn\u00ading of a \u201ccri\u00adsis of con\u00adfi\u00addence<\/a>\u201d and wor\u00adry aloud about the exchanges col\u00adlaps\u00ading under the weight of old\u00ader and sick\u00ader enrollees. Oth\u00aders who are less attached to the law voice sup\u00adport for repeal\u00ading the tax penal\u00adty <\/a>on peo\u00adple who choose not to enroll<\/p>\n But while some Democ\u00adrats are pre\u00adpared to change crit\u00adi\u00adcal pro\u00advi\u00adsions of the health care law, they would not vote to repeal it. Instead of giv\u00ading these ner\u00advous Democ\u00adrats a pass by offer\u00ading up non\u00advi\u00adable pro\u00adpos\u00adals, Repub\u00adli\u00adcans should try some\u00adthing that might make a dif\u00adfer\u00adence \u2013 work pri\u00advate\u00adly with Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal Democ\u00adrats to fash\u00adion leg\u00adis\u00adla\u00adtion that might stand a chance of becom\u00ading law. Such a pack\u00adage would, among oth\u00ader things, delay or repeal the indi\u00advid\u00adual man\u00addate<\/a>,<\/span> rein\u00adstate cov\u00ader\u00adage <\/a>that the gov\u00adern\u00adment has required insur\u00aders to can\u00adcel, repeal the assess\u00adment on group health plans and the $10 bil\u00adlion<\/a> it pro\u00advides to insur\u00aders that sell through the exchanges, unrav\u00adel oth\u00ader cor\u00adpo\u00adrate wel\u00adfare pro\u00advi\u00adsions<\/a> that help those insur\u00aders max\u00adi\u00admize prof\u00adits and shield them against loss\u00ades, and pro\u00adtect peo\u00adple with pre-exist\u00ading med\u00adical con\u00addi\u00adtions who cur\u00adrent\u00adly are enrolled in high-risk pools from suf\u00adfer\u00ading laps\u00ades in cov\u00ader\u00adage as a result of Obamacare\u2019s bun\u00adgled implementation.<\/p>\n Small num\u00adbers of Democ\u00adrats already have announced sup\u00adport for some of those pro\u00advi\u00adsions and some have intro\u00adduced bills<\/a> to that end. After McAuliffe\u2019s near-death expe\u00adri\u00adence, their ranks will grow. Repub\u00adli\u00adcans should embrace them, not repulse them with pro\u00adpos\u00adals that stand no chance of pas\u00adsage. Should bipar\u00adti\u00adsan sup\u00adport for more tar\u00adget\u00aded and polit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly palat\u00adable pro\u00adpos\u00adals emerge, Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic lead\u00aders will be put in a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult posi\u00adtion \u2013 allow those bills to move for\u00adward or stand with the Pres\u00adi\u00addent in quash\u00ading them. The for\u00admer will do polit\u00adi\u00adcal dam\u00adage to a Pres\u00adi\u00addent who does not have to face vot\u00aders; the lat\u00adter will dam\u00adage vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble Mem\u00adbers who do. Repub\u00adli\u00adcans can\u2019t make that choice for Har\u00adry Reid (D\u2011NV<\/span>), but they can make the choice a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult one.<\/p>\n The Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli era is over. It was an era char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by grand ges\u00adtures, dra\u00admat\u00adic con\u00adfronta\u00adtions, quixot\u00adic quests and, invari\u00adably, fail\u00adure. Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal Repub\u00adli\u00adcans, at Cuccinelli\u2019s urg\u00ading, held off on sen\u00adsi\u00adble pro\u00adpos\u00adals like repeal\u00ading the indi\u00advid\u00adual man\u00addate that might have kept insur\u00aders from offer\u00ading cov\u00ader\u00adage through the exchanges, argu\u00ading that such a bill would hurt his chances before the Supreme Court. He lost any\u00adway. Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli enthu\u00adsi\u00adasts backed the idea of forc\u00ading a gov\u00adern\u00adment shut\u00addown that helped sink his can\u00addi\u00adda\u00adcy and ren\u00adder a once tri\u00adumphant Vir\u00adginia Repub\u00adli\u00adcan par\u00adty defeat\u00aded, divid\u00aded and demoralized.<\/p>\n Cuc\u00adcinel\u00adli is a good man and a dread\u00adful strate\u00adgist. The GOP<\/span> should take this oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to turn away from ruinous schemes and shake off its recent habit of dis\u00admiss\u00ading effec\u00adtive strate\u00adgies as ide\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly impure. Ide\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy shapes opin\u00adion; strat\u00ade\u00adgy gets results.<\/p>\n It is not too late to achieve results. Yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chris Christie and Ter\u00adry McAu\u00adli\u00adffe were both sup\u00adposed to win big in their guber\u00adna\u00adto\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal bids. Christie did; McAu\u00adli\u00adffe didn\u2019t. And that presents Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal Repub\u00adli\u00adcans with a gen\u00aduine oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to make crit\u00adi\u00adcal changes to the President\u2019s health care law. If they \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading