As a Democrat in a red state, I often spend days among crowds where there are almost no Democratic voters in sight. I listen to them, work with them and try to persuade them.

I remember a humorous episode from Bill Clinton's presidency in which his advisers prevailed upon him, one summer before his re-election campaign, to spend his vacation in Montana and Wyoming instead of the usual Martha's Vineyard. The theory was that he'd benefit from hanging out someplace a little more down to earth.

If you're not geographically diverse, it's hard to even speak a language that makes sense to folks in faraway places. That's especially a problem in the West, where voters have always mistrusted the federal government.

Steve Bullock Quotes