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"Still trying to wrap your head around that 18-month, six-billion dollar campaign? Not quite sure what to make of Tuesday's results? Not to worry: for the next few days we'll be surveying the best and brightest in politics and punditry to help you make sense of it all.\n\nFacebookPinterest\n\nWith Rodell Mollineau, president of the Democratic super-PAC American Bridge 21st Century, former aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and others.\n\nGQ: What the f*ck did we just do for the last year?\n\nRM: We just spent well over $200 million of conservative special interest money and got nothing for it. Wait, that was Karl Rove...my bad.\n\n What my organization did was enter the 2012 election cycle with the belief that a strategic operation focused on opposition research, candidate tracking, earned and social media could play a part in helping Democrats compete with conservative Super PACs. I think we succeeded.\n\n We worked with other likeminded Super PACs, progressive organizations and labor unions to put forth a more organized and more effective outside campaign then our counterparts for a fraction of the price.\n\nGQ: What do Republicans need to do now?\n\nRM: I'm not in the habit of giving Republicans advice and they are not in the habit of taking it. But if they think that their troubles start and end with Mitt Romney then they are sorely mistaken. Their brand is tarnished. Middle class families think Republicans out of touch and in bed with big business. Hispanics think they are nophobic. Women think they are misogynistic. And for space reasons lets not get into what 90 percent of African Americans think off them. These opinions prevail because a.) They often support policies that are harmful to middle class families, women and minorities; and b.) They allow the most strident and extreme members of the party to deliver their message.\n\nThe bottom line is that voters are human beings and it turns out that many of them take it personally when you threaten to restrict their right to receive birth control or imply that every brown-skinned immigrant is here illegally. I was listening to a post-election clip of Rush Limbaugh sarcastically asking what conservatives should do to win back these demographics. My not-so-sarcastic advice: Shut up, and stop being such a dick because it's your brand of conservatism that is killing the Republican Party one election at a time.\n\nGQ: What's the lesson you're taking away from this election?\n\n RM:I believe there are three key takeaways from this election.\n\nThe Early Narrative is More Important Than the October Surprise: The ability of Democratic groups to define Mitt Romney early on while swing voters were still forming their opinions was key to Tuesday night's victory.Candidates Matter: Specifically, nominating ones that don't talk about rape.Ninety Percent of Life is Just Showing Up: In 2010, Republicans took advantage of the Citizens United decision while most Democrats were reluctant to operate under a system they did not agree with. We lost...badly. This election cycle we came to grips with the reality that while we might not like game it is foolish not to play. And in doing so we stayed competitive with our Republican counterparts and stemmed the impact of conservative special interest groups.Read more on Death Race 2012\n\nWTF Did We Just Do, Chris Lehane?\n\nWTF Did We Just Do, Rep. Steve LaTourette?\n\nWTF Did We Just Do, Melissa Harris-Perry?\n\nWTF Did We Just Do, Ezra Klein?\n\nFollow Reid Cherlin on Twitter for more updates from the campaign trail."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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