We're blogging.

If you know us, you know that we're both political junkies. It's in our blood.

Tuesday's election results here in Massachusetts weren't exactly what we were hoping for. But, there's a lot more to the story than just who won and who lost.

When we worked on Beacon Hill, just a few years ago, we could take attendance of Republican members by counting them on our fingers. The jokes about Republicans meeting in a phone booth started to have an element of truth. We think this last election cycle shows that things are starting to turn around, and the Republican party is capable of mounting a credible challenge to Democrats.

And we're here to chronicle that change. Welcome to our blog. Our first post is below. Please check back often.

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No doubt certain newspapers relished writing delicious headlines on November 3 about the "Republican wave" not reaching Massachusetts.

That’s their spin. Here’s ours.

Don't let the results on Tuesday fool you. The Massachusetts GOP is stronger than it’s been in recent memory. For the first time in a very long time, Republicans offered voters a comprehensive slate of legitimate candidates and positions on issues that resonated with working families.

That scared the Massachusetts Democratic Party into action. But, Democrats did not win on the power of their ideas or the strength of their own candidates, or even their synergy with Bay State voters. They won due to a massive, old-fashioned GOTV machine that went into full-tilt in the waning days of the campaign.

Let's face it: Mary Connaughton should have won. Even the Boston Globe said so, after giving her opponent treatment usually reserved for Republicans. Sean Bielat was able to grab national coverage of his tough fight against Barney Frank. Jim McKenna did the impossible by forcing his way onto the ballot as a write-in candidate for statewide office.

Yet, all three candidates lost. So did Treasurer candidate Karyn Polito, who ran neck-and-neck with her well-financed and well-connected Democratic opponent, Steve Grossman, in the weeks leading up to the election. So did Congressional candidate Jeff Perry, who leveraged conservative principles and an extremely effective campaign organization to come within points of joining Scott Brown in D.C. (Full disclosure – we worked on both the Polito and Perry campaigns.)

What all of these candidates had in common is that the power of their message and the momentum of their campaigns got beaten back by the Democratic GOTV machine when it counted most. Basically, in Massachusetts, the Republican wave ran up against a dam of 800,000 doors knocked on by Democratic volunteers on Election Day.

Democrats deserve credit for this simple yet effective strategy. But Mass. GOP Chair Jennifer Nassour and all the GOP candidates also deserve enormous credit for coming so close to scoring a huge upset victory this year.

And, now we know how to win next time around.