Voter anxiety and resentment, building for months in a troubled economy, exploded like a match on dry kindling in the final days of the special election for US Senate. In arguably the most liberal state in the nation, a Republican – and a conservative one at that – won and will crash the Bay State’s all-Democratic delegation with a mandate to kill the health care overhaul pending in Congress.
It is difficult to overstate the significance of Scott Brown’s victory because so much was at stake. From the agenda of President Obama and the legacy of the late Edward M. Kennedy to a referendum on the Democratic monopolies of power on Capitol and Beacon hills, voters in a lopsidedly Democratic state flooded the polls on a dreary winter day to turn conventional wisdom on its head.
Brown, an obscure state senator with an unremarkable record when he entered the race four months ago, was a household name across the country by the end of the abbrevi ated campaign. Running a vigorous, smart, and error-free campaign, he became a vessel into which cranky and worried voters poured their frustrations and fears, ending the Democrats’ grip on a Senate seat the party has held for 58 years, nearly all by two brothers named Kennedy.
Voters were demonstrably unsentimental about keeping alive the spirit of the late Ted Kennedy in electing the next senator. His widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, tried to bolster the sagging candidacy of Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley in the closing days, to little effect.
A ringing message, yes, but remember Washington is tone deaf. Look for the Democrat leadership to start loudly chanting: “I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you….” It will be interesting to see if the lemming effect takes hold, or a few Democrats bolt from the health bill frenzy. If they fail to use their brains and go with the lemming instinct, most of them are doomed. But, hey, it works for the lemmings.
Let’s see…Massachusetts already has near-universal health care. So what message are they sending? Don’t pass national health care that will interfere with our government-sponsored state health program?
Obama and the neo-monarchists (and the writer of this story) really don’t get it and they won’t until November. Most people in America are sick of liberal elites weilding royal power and throwing a bone to the “fly over” based on some twisted concept of noblis obligue. Most of us don’t hate the CIA, want Gitmo to stay open, want the military to destroy Al Quida, want tax cuts instead of ear maked pork barrell “stimulus” and hate the notion of centralized national socialism. I think Sen. Webb, Sen. Snow, Sen. Byah and Rep. Weiner have it, but most of the rest still don’t. Rham Emmanuel clearly doesn’t have it figured out so Obama doesn’t either. This needs to be a lesson to the GOP also, because if they don’t swear off ear marks, there is going to be a new American Revolution. And, for those of you who don’t know, the #3 pork barreller in the House is…Ron Paul!
#2 Dan–I hope the Democrat strategists believe that. If they do, the GOP will take the Congress back in 2010. We have a Federal system of governance. The STATES are supposed to do those things not the National Government. You won’t find anywhere in the constitution (a document that LIMITS the power of the Federal govrenment) where it allows the US government to own 2 car comapnies, an insuranace conglomerate and several banks, or require the citizens of this nation to purchase anything, let alone health insurance. I, for one, am ready to take my country back from both parties.
the MA universal health care is actually polling quite badly, it’s one reason Mitt Romney will never be President. but don’t expect the Dems to understand that, they are blinded (and deafened) in their quest for ever more government.