Cantor to blame for his defeat

Kearney (Neb.) Hub: For a political newcomer like David Brat to knock off an established Washington politician like Eric Cantor is remarkable. Even more remarkable than a neophyte winning a primary election is how a veteran of politics would allow that to happen. In his concession speech, Cantor couldn’t bring himself to congratulate Brat, but the GOP establishment politician has nobody but himself to blame for the loss.

Although Brat, an economics professor, hardly had devised a campaign strategy other than to hammer Cantor for his willingness to pursue immigration reform, the newcomer out-hustled Cantor by going door-to-door and appearing before small groups.

This so-called retail campaigning is challenging because politicians can meet only a few voters at a time, compared to TV ads that splash their name and face onto thousands of television screens.