HoustonChronicle.com - Losses widen rift for Democrats

Bob Stein, Rice University political scientist and pollster, said the candidates were unable to marshal the strong voter turnout that could have made a difference in the election.

"What's even more distressing is that Kirk and Sanchez outspent their opponents, so why didn't black and brown voters turn out for them?" Stein asked.

Most likely, any combination of a lack of organization to get voters to the polls, too much time spent shoring up the white voter base without appealing to minorities, and inherent flaws in both candidates and their campaigns kept voters away, Stein said.

"And you just can't underestimate and rule out the possibility that race was a factor, for some voters," Stein said. "The logic of a voter is to vote for a person like themselves. And neither of those candidates were like the majority of voters this year."

With the 2004 presidential campaigns about to start mobilizing in earnest, the Democratic Party has a short window to get organized.

Seperately, I am of the opinion McAuliffe should go as DNC head. He is great at raising money and modernizing but poor at media messaging.