Of all the second tier campaigns, Sam Brownback’s was the best at the blocking and tackling of grassroots campaigning. They moved impressive numbers of people to Ames, spending $600,000. They placed an improbable third at CPAC. They have rock stars like Leon Wolf and Billy Valentine running their e-efforts.
And yet…
This aggressiveness also led them into running the most overtly mean-spirited campaign of the cycle. They haven’t been shy about trashing Romney, and unlike McCain, always having their name plastered all over the attack. They paid for robocalls trashing Romney and Tom Tancredo, whose pro-life credentials have never been in question so far as I can tell. They even questioned Baptist minister Mike Huckabee’s Christian bona-fides.
At Ames, all of Brownback’s targets either won (Romney) or performed far better than expected (Huckabee and Tancredo). Brownback’s third place finish would have been respectable had it not been at the hands of Huckabee, who spent a quarter of what Brownback did at Ames.
That’s leading to some pretty harsh assessments of what’s next for the Kansan:
After putting in the effort he did today and in the weeks leading up to Ames, Brownback’s third place finish will prompt questions about his ability to carry on in the race. - The Politico’s Jonathan Martin
* Brownback invested a lot into the straw poll and got little return. Finishing third behind Huckabee makes it tough for the Kansas Senator to make the argument that he is the most viable social conservative candidate in the field. This is a major setback for Brownback and could well lead to his departure from the race in the near future. - WashingtonPost.com’s Chris Cillizza
That’s rough. But it’s what happens when what should be insurgent campaigns take on the airs of political machines (see McCain, John).