Graham Plattner demonstrated why I had trepidation regarding his run for the Senate.

[QueerDuck]

29. It's about learning the lesson, not gloating.

No one is celebrating this catastrophe, and acknowledging a bad feeling isn't a personal attack.

The reality is that many voters felt something was fundamentally off with this campaign's manufactured presentation long before the breaking headlines dropped. When multiple voters have a nagging sense that something isn't right with a candidate's presentation or narrative, that isn't petty gloating... it is a data point. Political instincts are often shaped by seeing these exact kinds of structural flaws play out in the past.

Looking back at why those initial instincts were right is just basic political analysis. We need to understand how a flawed candidate got this far so we can establish an honest vetting process and make sure it never happens again.

Discussing and posting why those instincts were correct isn't about scoring points... it is a necessary part of the post-mortem.

If the party wants to rebuild and protect must-win seats moving forward, we have to listen to those gut feelings early on, rather than ignoring them until the clock runs out.