I’m singing one of my favorite songs again: Winning campaigns spend money on media, not turnout. And I have judicial proof in this year’s elections.

There appeared to be little pattern in who won the judicial races, which are now officially nonpartisan. Democrat Sarah Parker won big. But Republican Donna Stroud edged Linda Stephens.

Here’s the pattern: the candidates who ran good TV ads – and a lot of them – won: Parker, Stroud, Patricia Timmons-Goodson and Robin Hudson.

Candidates who put their faith and their money into get-out-the-vote campaigns lost.

Too many candidates have a romantic belief in turnout operations. Or they’ve been drinking Karl Rove’s Kool-Aid.

To me, GOTV always means Get On Television.

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