Hott Scott Brown Beats Coakley ..... And Pretty Handily, Too.
I'm not totally surprised by Scott Brown's victory over Martha Coakley - or Maahtha, as the locals call her. The surprise is that I turned the TV on at 900Pm, to find that it was all overwith, give or take five minutes. Massachusetts has elected a statewide Republican here and there, but the irony of the Democrats losing Ted Kennedy's seat - and with it, Health Care , Cap & Trade, and other major pillars of Barack Obama's agenda - is mindblowing..... However, we Republicans should not be too confident.
Like in November, Martha Coakley was done in by herself to a degree, but more so by a feeling from voters that the Democrats are getting their foot stuck on the accelerator. I couldn't even tell you anything about Scott Brown, except from all observers that he ran a nearly flawless campaign. That gives you an idea of how badly voters wanted Obama , Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Jim Clyburn to ease up.... Not to lessen Brown's effort, but he caught The Perfect Storm.
It's the same story of the middle voters - or moderates, which is almost a bad word to Conservatives - leaning one way, then snapping back the other just a year later. Bobby is a perfect example. He left a message on my phone, hoping that Brown would win 'to balance the power' more. He and many undecideds are the people who jump on the other end of the see-saw, if only to not let the guy on the other side get too comfy. Honestly, it's not a bad thought, and it's part of what makes America great.....
Will Barack Obama learn anything from tonight? All signs point to a big no... If I thought he were doing the right things, I'd say he's showing vision. But, my smarter side thinks he's being stubborn. In the end, he'll keep pushing the envelope, and he'll get every swing district Democrat voted out with him by 2012. Then the Republicans will take over - and we'll mess it up in the other direction probably. Ain't America Great ???
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3 comments:
Screw taking the foot off the gas. Best quote I have seen of the night came from an unnamed Presidential advisor, who as Josh Marshall points out should be promoted:
"The response will not be to do incremental things and try to salvage a few seats in the fall," a presidential adviser said. "The best political route also happens to be the boldest rhetorical route, which is to go out and fight and let the chips fall where they may. We can say, 'At least we fought for these things, and the Republicans said no."
I full-heartedly agree. Regardless of how it will be spun and how badly Republicans have been trying to spin it since November, the American public is overwhelmingly in agreement that healthcare reform is needed. Keep fighting to pass it and let the chips fall where they may. The only "referendum" that will be passed on Obama will be 2012 and he'll win that.
But even if he doesn't, who cares, as long as you went down fighting for what you believe. Sorry...but if we're ever gonna change health care in this country, it's abundantly clear that's it's gonna take someone who puts it above everything else. It's a fight I believe has to be made and there's certainly nobody else on the horizon that seems even remotely close to having the stones to take it on.
You make your argument and you push for your beliefs. You keep doing that and, if you're right, you'll win in the long run. Personally, I can live with losing (hell...I'm a liberal in SC). What I can't stomach is not fighting. I don't think that's an issue with this President.
But in the meantime, I'm enjoying the hyperbole from my Republican friends.
I'm glad he won...needed a little more balance in the Senate.
If he keeps the foot on the gas, and it works, he can tell America 'I told you so', but there are 535 other people in DC who worry more about getting re-elected than setting a legacy. It's gonna be an interesting year...
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