Can a good person get elected when Democrats have a large registration advantage?

One of my favorite people on the web is PJ Media writer/host Scott Ott. Scott is a County Commissioner in Pennsylvania. This week he was on the ballot for the County Executive position. He did not win. This is what he wrote about his defeat in a very close election.

As the election slipped away last night, the speculation began as to why I lost in my bid for Lehigh County Executive. Was it the fact that I took the lead in completing the first property reassessment in 21 years, resulting in a rise in some tax bills? Was it the distortions and fear tactics of my opponent? Should I have struck back with attack ads, or at least been more vocal about the fact that, despite large tax increases in the past decade, Lehigh County has consistently spent more than it brought in, drained revenues, and set us up for a 2015 tax hike? Was it Allentown's mayor and cronies in the big unions that drove turnout for my opponent--with the tailwind of a 50-to-35 Democratic registration advantage? Was it Republicans who rejected the message of reform, preferring the status quo? Or was it merely the fact that, on paper, the winner has years of experience in government and as a corporate executive, and that he simply ran a more effective campaign?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions, and I would respectfully suggest that most of them are un-knowable--or at least, that it's not possible to isolate one or two. It could be some, all, or none of these.

However, there is one person who I know is responsible for my loss in Tuesday's election. His name is Scott Ott.

I am the candidate. I am the commissioner. I made the decisions, both in politics and policy. Sometimes I accepted the counsel of my advisers and colleagues. Sometimes I rejected it, or adapted it. The loss is wholly my fault. Period.

My impressive team of volunteers could not have worked harder, or given more. My campaign manager is perhaps the most gifted, tenacious and responsible person I have met in politics. She deserves nothing but applause. They answered the call of duty, and then some. They put their hearts and souls into the effort. It is to them I owe a sincere apology for my failure to win.

Our principles -- that government should live within our means, focus on essentials, measure results, and continually improve efficiency -- those ideas were not on the ballot. I was. Commissioner candidates who embrace those principles won last night. I did not.

Given my personal values, perhaps I cannot run the kind campaign it takes to counter what was thrown at me. I can live with that possibility, because I must be able to look my children in the eye and say, "Your Dad did the right thing." I trust the voters, and I trust the marketplace of our electoral system to--at least in the long run--make the right decisions. I wish Tom Muller a fruitful tenure as County Executive, and will work to find common ground with him and my fellow Commissioners as we strive to serve the people of Lehigh County.

I pray only that those who gave so much for so long to advance this reform movement will--after a few moments of justifiable grieving--pull your boots back on, get back on the horse, and continue to ride toward that horizon that you can see in your mind's eye. Your vision for our future is not the province of a single candidate, but a commitment to time-tested principles that will outlast us all.

As many of you know, I was raised by my grandparents. When my Pop, Jim McMaster, enlisted for World War II, he signed up for the duration...plus six months. For much of the war, the casualty toll was horrendous, and the Axis Powers were unyielding. The slaughter at Normandy should have terrified the Allies into retreat. But Staff Sgt. Jim McMaster and so many of his fellow soldiers kept slogging forward. After the Allies defeated Germany and Italy, Staff Sgt. Jim McMaster waited in Paris to ship out for the invasion of Japan.

These are the sort of people we need at this hour. They didn't sign up for fair weather, nor for short-term victories. They enlisted for the duration, plus six months. In other words, until we win...and then some.

My deepest apologies, and deepest gratitude, to those who have joined me on this journey. You are the kind of people who are going to save this county, this commonwealth and this great nation.