Ryan GrimVerified account

Stories like Teachout's are reminders that elections are shaped by the political environment of the moment. Anti-establishment progressives say Dems lost in Obama years because they didn't focus on ideas. But if that's true, why did Teachout lose by 9 points in 2016?https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/986263191402549248 …

She was massively outspent, right?

I remember there being a ton of outside money, too

It basically evened out when you factor in that she got a better rate as a candidate. My point is that if candidates who have lost before are somehow tainted and never should run again, then shouldn't Teaachout be discounted and cast aside?

Discounted, definitely. Cast aside is case by case. (The counter-argument is that the the top of the ticket sets the tone around ideas. It is hard for a House challenger to break thru past a presidential candidate.)