Good article. I haven't seen Tip O'Neal's name in a while. Though I despised TIp O'Neal he was right. "All politics is local". He was one of the most corrupt, back room dealing politicians that ever became Speaker of the House. Reagan was nicer to Tip than he should have been but Reagan was smart enough not to let personal feelings get in the way of getting business done. I remember reading the book, "Man of the House" about 30 years ago. It was an interesting look into his political life.
I've always been bothered by the republicans' lack of taking advantage of technology and why they don't seem to understand "campaigning at home". They have proven to be experts at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I do understand why, at congressional level, so many of them don't succeed more than they do. Inside the beltway, most republicans are driven by the need to fit in and be a part of social D.C. The problem is that D.C. is a liberal bastion, controlled by liberals and the republicans are working on pleasing the wrong people.