In short, opposing the DFL agenda was not tough going politically. Even where you think the Democrats might trump the Governor, on issues such as increasing education spending, it turned out that they couldn’t compete. Spending pressures by liberal interest groups were so great that the final DFL education proposal actually increased general education revenues by only 3/8ths of what the Governor had proposed! Not exactly the huge boost in spending for a starved system they had promised.
The genius of Governor Pawlenty’s strategy was based upon its simplicity and nearly failsafe nature: let the Democrats propose what they really want, carefully articulate his own position, and wait for the Democrats to pass their legislation.
Then: veto, veto, veto.
The very simplicity of the approach stunned the DFL majorities. They had believed that their majorities assured legislative victories and their inattention the Constitutional powers of the Governor cost them every major legislative battle during the legislative session.
By the time the session was over, the State Budget that passed actually grew more slowly than Pawlenty had proposed. The Republicans were united, Conservatives energized and even optimistic, and the Democrat majorities were left in a shambles surrounded by angry activist groups who had been promised government largesse.
There is a lesson to be learned here: Republicans succeeded despite their huge legislative defeats because they united behind their principles, stood up to the Democrats and their crazy liberal agenda, and had the courage to say NO!
When the final compromises had to be made, Pawlenty and the Republicans were able to do so from a position of strength, not weakness.
All because they had the courage to stand up for principle. That is the formula for success.