THOMASON: DEMOCRATS NICE GUYS FOR TOO LONG

One of the lesson's Larry Thomason said he learned from Tuesday's election is that Democrats have been nice guys for too long.

"We are going to have to give them what they give us," said Thomason, a Kennett Democrat who won a fourth term from Missouri's 163rd District and a second term as majority whip this week.

"One of our biggest problems as a party here in Jefferson City is we have been in control for so long that we have gotten lazy," said Thomason. "The Republican Party in Missouri has done what the national party has done: They have perfected the art of being negative about everything."

Thomason said in recent years Republicans in the state have effectively used the media to get their message out. He complained that Republicans often take a good piece of legislation that passes and pick out one or two bad things in the bill to make that the subject of the bill.

Thomason had anticipated Democratic gains of about three seats in Tuesday's election, while most Republicans expected to gain a few seats. The net result was that Republicans picked up eight seats to claim their largest House membership in 40 years.

In the next session, Thomason said Democrats in the legislature will work harder to get their message out and try to make sure opposition charges do not go unanswered.

The end result of that approach could be a more partisan atmosphere in the next session, Thomason said.

In politics, Thomason said perception is reality, and in recent years Democrats have allowed the other party to give voters a false perception.

"The big lie wins in this game, and they have the big lie down to a perfection," said Thomason. "The Democratic Party has tried to be the gentleman party -- to do what is right and keep ourselves above the muck -- but we can't do it any more."

Tuesday's election results should move the Democratic Party back to the middle, something that pleases the Bootheel conservative. He said the national Democrats took a strong left turn in the 1970s and left many people like him behind.

When he first arrived in the legislature in 1989, Thomason said he felt a bit out of place because his views were to the right of many other Democrats.

Now, he believes the party will be more in tune with rural Democrats who tend to be conservative or moderate. He anticipates moderate Democrats having a larger agenda in the upcoming session.

Thomason predicted that Republicans will ultimately face the same kind of grief Democrats have had over the years with liberal elements, from radical conservatives.

Thomason said it is too early to tell how well the two parties will cooperate next year. Many believe a moderate turn by Democrats will make cooperation easier.

Thomason said that could happen if Republican leaders in the House focus on facing up to problems instead of dwelling on the negative.

"Ultimately, what has happened to us is good for our party," Thomason said. "It will make us take the opposition more seriously."