There are a few axioms that candidates for political office try to follow. For example, speak to the issues, stick to your message, meet the public, don't drag your opponent through the mud (unless absolutely necessary), and, oh yeah, don't be a horse's patoot.

Arrogance never wears well. Just ask all those who lost in last week's election or stepped down in its wake.

From Leslie Lewis doing her Judge Judy impression to Aaron "I Have My Cell Phone With Me" Kennard preparing for the Senior Tour during work hours to Donald Rumsfeld acting like George Patton in front of the troops to Republicans coming off as haughty, condescending power brokers, the losers have only themselves to blame.

All they had to do was keep their mouths shut or offer just the faintest hint of contriteness or humility, and they'd still be bossing people around in the next term.

Some issues are difficult for American voters to decide — political affiliation, Iraq, abortion, various propositions, same-sex marriages — but arrogance isn't one of them.

If arrogance won elections, Terrell Owens could be president.

Arrogance is never in style. For some reason a lot of otherwise intelligent people — and if you don't think they're intelligent, just ask them — never figured that out.

Not even Kennard, who has been around the block before (probably in a golf cart), but you wouldn't have known it. He had a 30-point lead until his opponent, Jim Winder, happened to let it slip that Kennard spent many of his work hours on the golf course. Things went from bad to worse when Kennard threw it back in our faces.

"My response is, 'I'm not golfing enough,"' Kennard said. He could've said almost anything else, and it would've been better than that. Except this: He went on to say not only did he golf as much as was reported — 20 times in August and September, 11 of them during the week — but, by the way, that was pretty much his average summer playing time over the last 16 years. Translation for voters: Stick it.

Anyone for a verbal mulligan? Who was giving this guy PR advice, Nancy Workman?

Lewis, the 3rd District judge who apparently has been watching way too much of Judy Sheindlin (they even look alike), became only the second state district judge to be voted off the bench.

During a trial of a man accused of destruction of protected wildlife, Lewis recused herself because of her personal bias against hunting but not before launching into an anti-hunting tirade. During the tirade, the defendant's brother audibly sighed and got up and left the courtroom in disgust. At least he had the good sense to leave things alone, but Lewis didn't. She ordered the bailiff to bring him back to the courtroom, baited him into an explanation and then sent him to jail when she didn't like his explanation. All of which wound up on Internet video and made her a target of hunters everywhere.