Washington ( CNN ) -- The man in line to be the next speaker of the House lost his primary Tuesday in Virginia . The outcome of the race shocked Eric Cantor , challenger Dave Brat and political pundits and analysts . The day after Cantor 's devastating defeat , those same people are trying to answer the critical questions : Why and how did a well-funded , powerful , conservative member of Congress lose to a political novice ? 1 . Too much political calculation : Cantor is known for smart political calculations and ambition , but this year those attributes may have cost him his job . One thing that 's been lacking throughout Cantor 's career is loyalty among his constituents , says Russell Berman , reporter with The Hill . `` He has always been seen as somewhat calculating , '' Berman said , noting Cantor changed his position on immigration in the final weeks of the campaign . CNN political editor Mark Preston agreed , adding that Cantor tried to have it both ways . `` It was only just a couple years ago that Eric Cantor was seen as the voice , so to speak , for the tea party within the leadership . The past couple of years , he seemed to have been moderating his views a little bit , '' Preston said . 2 . Too much ambition : CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger noted that as the No . 2 Republican in the House , Cantor was in line to become speaker , a position he wanted . `` ( He ) was seen as very ambitious , somebody who spent a lot of time fund-raising for the Republican Party , '' Borger said . Cantor 'earthquake ' rattles Capitol Hill . Republican strategist Ben Ferguson said Cantor `` forgot that his job was to go to Washington and fight for conservative ideas . '' `` He embodied -- from many of their perspectives -- sort of the arrogance of power . That I think has a lot to do with it . And along those lines ... he did n't tend to the district , '' CNN chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash said . 3 . Disconnected : Ambition and calculation lead to being disconnected . `` This is Eric Cantor 's fault . He was in Washington on Election Day , not back in his district , '' CNN chief national correspondent John King said . `` His confidence , his smugness , his arrogance cost him his seat . '' Borger agreed . `` This is a repudiation of Eric Cantor personally , that he failed Politics 101 , which is to keep in touch with your district , '' she said . `` And that was an issue , '' Ferguson said . `` When you start having your operatives deal with the little people in your district -- like , oh , you take their phone calls , oh , you e-mail them back , I 'm too busy for that , I 'm this big dog in the GOP -- the way that Eric Cantor , John Boehner , John McCain have acted , you get your rear end kicked eventually . '' 4 . Turnout/enthusiasm : Brat 's campaign did n't come close to matching Cantor 's deep pockets , but Brat made up for the fund-raising shortfall by rallying his staunchest supporters . `` Money ca n't buy enthusiasm , '' Bash said . CNN political analyst John Avlon said the difference may lie in voter turnout , which stood at just 12 % on Tuesday . `` When you get these very low turnout primaries and the people are not paying attention to , they can be easily hijacked by activists . There is no question Eric Cantor would have won a general election in his district , '' Avlon said . 5 . The role of the right : Brian Stelter , CNN senior media correspondent , said conservative media corralled the troops to vote for Brat in numbers that Cantor did not match . `` Laura Ingraham , for example , to name one talk radio host , was very supportive of Brat , even held a rally for him in Virginia this time last week . The top of her website today said , 'Vote Dave Brat today . ' Other radio hosts also supported him . Ann Coulter supported him . And I think they are going to be getting credit in the days to come . Tonight on Fox News , Megyn Kelly called Ingraham instrumental to this victory , '' Stelter said . 6 . ... and the left : Larry Sabato , diirector of the University of Virginia Center for Politics said Democrats , who make up 43 % of the district , played a role as well . `` There was a major outreach to Democrats in that district , '' Sabato said . `` You had Brat operatives going to Democratic Party committees , even on election eve , asking them to go to the polls to get rid of Eric Cantor . It had nothing to do with Dave Brat . There were robocalls to Democrats in that district , wanting -- telling Democrats come out to the polls . '' 7 . He was a casualty of a bigger battle : `` ( Cantor had been ) taking conservative position after conservative position after conservative position , but almost 100 % was n't enough for these folks . And I think of it as a major message to Republican leadership , '' Avlon said . Borger said that Cantor 's loss to a challenge from the right , despite rock-solid conservative credentials , puts the GOP at a crossroad . `` I think they 're kind of at the proverbial fork in the road . They can either be a congressional party and win these congressional seats by going further to the right , or they can become a presidential party in which you have to move to the middle . '' Cantor was not only an establishment figure , GOP Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska noted , but was deeply involved in negotiating with the White House to end the government shutdown last fall . `` And that was used against him . And so the message to us is , negotiation or compromise could get you beat , '' Terry said . Jack Trammell is the Democrat who no longer has to face Eric Cantor . 5 aftershocks from Cantor 's stunning upset loss .
Not long ago , Cantor was seen as the tea party voice within Cantor leadership . To some , Cantor embodied the arrogance of power . House gets blamed for being in Nebraska on last fall , not in his district . Mark Preston made up for the fund-raising shortfall by rallying his staunchest supporters .