Fifty lessons for the political soul

Attention White House Democrats: Looking for one way to make liberal bloggers swoon? Propose Montana's Gov. Brian Schweitzer as a running mate.

Does Sen. Ben Nelson's (D) blowout win prove the more conservative candidate always wins in Nebraska?

When will Senate Majority Leader-to-be Harry Reid (D) make it his responsibility to rescue the Nevada Democratic Party from its current funk?

Is New Hampshire simply a suburb of Boston now? Sen. John Sununu (R) says no, but we'll find out in 2008.

It's going on 20 years since the last time a Republican presidential candidate received more than 50 percent in New Jersey.

The most underrated swing state in the country is New Mexico.

Incoming Gov. Eliot Spitzer has toned down his Wall Street bashing, which is odd since that's now all the rage in the Democratic Party. Spitzer will be an interesting non-player in these New York-heavy presidential sweepstakes.

Just asking: Could a populist like John Edwards get elected in the new economy-succeeding North Carolina?

Some day I'll understand exactly what happened in the Dakotas that caused the North and South to split.

While Missouri may be in play for '08, Democrats should examine those House race losses in the 1st and 15th districts and realize Ohio will be no easier to win in '08 than it was in '04.

The sooner we finish this sentence on Oklahoma, the faster we'll finish this column.

Someday Republicans will figure out why they can't win anymore in Oregon.

You read it here first: Republicans will not seriously contest Pennsylvania in 2008.

I'm already tired of the Whitehouse-White House jokes in Rhode Island.

South Carolina is getting so conservative that it may just pull a Kansas. What does that mean? A Democrat will only win statewide when the GOP nominates someone too far to the right.

South Dakota is determined to be the center of our congressional-control universe.

Tennessee is not racist for not electing Harold Ford Jr.; they just elected the candidate that most reflected their values. If Ford gets married, he'll be a senator.

Most underreported story of 2006: the surprising weakness of the GOP brand in Texas.

For you "Fletch" fans out there, the story is Utah, Frank.

Do you realize that no Democrat has held the Senate seat Bernie Sanders (I) is about to hold in Vermont... ever?

On Nov. 8, 2006, the Commonwealth of Virginia officially seceded from the Confederacy.

As long as the war is the issue, the Washington GOP ought to go on sabbatical.

How do the Democrats get their populist gene back and then not seriously contest West Virginia's lone GOP house seat?

If there's one state John Kerry won in 2004 that is teetering more than Wisconsin in '08, I don't know what it is.

Wyoming? Why not.

Thanks for indulging me this year. If this column was a bit too much to digest, realize that you have an extra week to read it. See you in January.

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