Let’s cut right to the chase: Scott Brown’s resounding defeat of Martha Coakley demonstrates many things. Chief among these is the vulnerability of every Democrat in the current election year, the impotence of the Democrats’ current leader and sitting President to sway public opinion in any vital race (Corzine, Deeds, Coakley….), and the true unpopularity of the health care monstrosity the Democratic supermajority has been fighting amongst itself to produce over the course of this last year.
More than one analyst has observed that Massachusetts’ current “progressive” health care system, put in place under Republican Governor Mitt Romney, gave state voters little reason to go to the polls to protect Obamacare. The reason for this, those analysts said, was that the Bay State, with its individual mandate and state connector-based system, stood to be least affected by the failure of the Democrats’ national health overhaul bill. However, it may be more correct to look at this move by Massachusetts voters — including a large number of Democrats — as a referendum on their own version of health care “reform,” which has turned into such a costly, access-precluding boondoggle in the years since its passage that even the most hard-hearted of Bay Staters did not wish to see it inflicted on the rest of America by the federal government.
Upon Senator-elect Scott Brown’s seating in the United States Senate, the one-party tyranny that has plagued Washington ever since this Congress was seated, and this President was sworn in, comes to a close. This does not, of course, mean that the Democrat agenda will have been stopped in its tracks; with Republicans like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and others in the Senate always willing to flip sides on an issue in the name of “compromise,” that will almost never be the case.
However, with their 60-vote supermajority having been lost, the ease with which Senate Democrats and President Obama will be able to pass their agenda in the future will be greatly reduced.
It is very telling that the solid year in which the Democratic Party had total, unassailable, unobstructable control of the entire apparatus of lawmaking and -enforcing power in Washington, the only tangible things they have to show for it are an expansion of SCHIP, a $787,000,000,000.00 boondoggle of a “stimulus” package that has failed to provably save one single job amidst the worst unemployment numbers in decades, and hundreds upon hundreds of hours logged griping and moaning about an “obstructionist” Republican superminority that couldn’t have stopped Democrats from doing one single thing in Congress has they wanted to.
That is a record voters are sure to remember come this November, particularly if Mr. Brown’s victory Tuesday night in the deep blue electoral sea that is Massachusetts is any indicator.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Some folks in China were just startled by the shot fired tonight in Massachusetts. Do you hear us now, Mr. President? -nt-
dvdmsr (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 9:59PM EST (link)Personal Responsibility Conservative
If she conceeded what's the dispute that Brown should be seated immediately
walter_hanson Tuesday, January 19th at 10:02PM EST (link)The only candidate who has a chance to be elected MA Senator has conceded!
SO HARRY WHY SHOULDN’T BROWN BE SEATED TOMORROW!!!!!!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
To bolster your point, Crank: Coakley, in her concession speech, didn't thank Obama for his help.
spainishirish (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:04PM EST (link)Just Clinton and Vickie Kennedy.
Telling.
A Scott across the bow !!!
Old_Crow (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:04PM EST (link)Massachusetts comes through.
True Patriots.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
"channeling her inner Ted"
nivlem (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:08PM EST (link)this is an amazing statement. This woman is a mess. She couldn’t wait for him to get in his grave to run her campaign.
God placed the right people in the right place this time around. It is up to us
to keep him with us.
We have a lot of hard work to do.
Thank you, RedState, for keep us focused and energized. Your up to date
knowledge, and hard work to keep everyone current on what went on really paid off.
God Bless each of you with the wisdom to bring America back to where it
should be.
rotfl
shadowmane Tuesday, January 19th at 10:11PM EST (link)The irony here is that… we took Ted Kennedy’s seat away from the Democrats.
Great point. That is so obvious it is too easily overlooked.
spainishirish (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:21PM EST (link)The irony is rich on too many levels to even start, but I’m glad someone pointed it out!
After tonight's election
jyjacobs Tuesday, January 19th at 10:14PM EST (link)I find myself in total agreement with Janet Napolitano:
“The system worked”.
If you are a fire hydrant and Obama's around
jeannieology (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:18PM EST (link)Duck!
http://jeannie-ology.com/?p=5338
NY and CA are next...
Old_Crow (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:22PM EST (link)The People have spoken.
Cut the state budgets and the bloated county government.
The time to act is now.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
I have never actually been happy to be wrong!
nolan Tuesday, January 19th at 10:24PM EST (link)But this is a first. I was sure of a close race, litigated and stolen. Being a MA resident, I couldn’t imagine anything else. But, damn! The margin makes it incontestable. Here in MA!!!
We may have pulled the levers, but the interest, support and energy from so many from across the nation was fantastic! Thanks!
“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.” -Auric Goldfinger
Nothing is ever done in this world until men are prepared to kill one another if it is not done. — George Bernard Shaw
“No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong.” – Winston Churchill
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Thanks to all the outsiders
tbaleno Tuesday, January 19th at 11:16PM EST (link)I know Brown wasn’t a perfect conservative and we all have issues with some of his views, but he was about as good as we could have expected in this state. Thanks for not being so hung up on getting the perfect “conservative.” This race was won nationally. Redstate and other sites on the net really came through.
When I filled out my ballot I was thinking of all you guys in the other states standing beside me. I know all of us in Massachusettes(heh) are grateful for the support and resources you gave.
Now it will be our turn to help you guys out as the elections happen in your states.
He's certainly good enough for MA
bannedtroll Tuesday, January 19th at 11:58PM EST (link)Compare him with Kerry, and he looks like Barry Goldwater.
I’m a banned Democrat who came here to promote the idea that Republicans are racists for disliking Barack Obama.
Shot Across the Bow?
reaganiterepublicanresistance Tuesday, January 19th at 10:31PM EST (link)More like a broadside hit to the hull!
And it may have damaged the rudder… who cares, it was stuck to the left anyway
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
The Reaganite Republican
No kidding - VA and NJ were the warning shots. The soviet's hull has now been been breached.
bannedtroll Tuesday, January 19th at 11:49PM EST (link)BTW, where are all of those morons talking about razor thin NY-23?
I’m a banned Democrat who came here to promote the idea that Republicans are racists for disliking Barack Obama.
Kerry's got company!
piratecoastbucs Tuesday, January 19th at 10:34PM EST (link)I hope Brown gives John “I served in Vietnam” Kerry a BIG FAT KISS FROM ALL OF US!
we need a credible challenger in every senate race
jasonmvass (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 10:52PM EST (link)Mike Pence v. Bayh anyone?
California Resurgance
california_red Tuesday, January 19th at 10:59PM EST (link)Boxer and McNerney (CA-11) are on my list.
Thank you Patriots!
RetiredFF Tuesday, January 19th at 11:14PM EST (link)It is one less nail in the coffin of Liberty, and one more nail in the coffin of Tyranny. I love it when history repeats itself for the better of our Republic!
Great lines in his speech, one of the best being..
conservativemountaineer Tuesday, January 19th at 11:23PM EST (link)paraphrasing, of course..
He (Obama) can question my positions, but when he criticizes my truck, I draw the line,
Just because the cloud has a silver lining doesn’t mean it’s not going to rain.
Forgot about this one..
conservativemountaineer Tuesday, January 19th at 11:42PM EST (link)When I spoke to the President I asked him if he’d like me to drive my truck down to Washington DC so he could see it.
Just because the cloud has a silver lining doesn’t mean it’s not going to rain.
I hope he does and parks it in the Rose Garden.
bannedtroll Tuesday, January 19th at 11:53PM EST (link)Let Obama look at it every day as a reminder that his stay at the White House will be a short one.
I’m a banned Democrat who came here to promote the idea that Republicans are racists for disliking Barack Obama.
Democrat math: 60 MINUS 1= 50 TO 52
Conservative_not_Republican (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 11:25PM EST (link)The loss of the Mass. Senate seat did more than simply reduce the Democrat majority to 59. Without the possibility of breaking a filibuster, it will be every man/ woman for him/ herself. Party discipline will be greatly reduced. Jim Webb, Evan Bayh, and Joe Lieberman tonight have already made statements that show they are not going to walk the plank again. Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln and others also are now going to be freed up to vote in their own best political interests. It is easy to imagine some Democrats joining a filibuster, for example, against cap and tax legislation.
It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.–David Hume
Quoted in The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek
Cap & Tax had ZERO chance of a united Dem vote for cloture
6eorge Jetson (Diary) Wednesday, January 20th at 12:14AM EST (link)from the day it was penned. It doesn’t fall so neatly along party lines.
The two West Virginia Democratic senators will never vote to damage the coal industry. I’m sure there are a number of other Rust Belt Dems that are going to vote not just No, but Hell, No! on Cap & Tax.
This is only the first battle
wolfster38 (Diary) Tuesday, January 19th at 11:26PM EST (link)This is only the first battle. Many more to come. Acorn wasn’t ready they thought they couldn’t be beat in Massachusetts. They will be ready from now on. We must be too. No rest until the Communists are all gone. Even if they seem to change we cannot afford to trust any who wants or was willing to wreck our Constitution. The communist progressives all have to go!
No Rest , we must keep America free!
“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
The Declaration of Independence
The message just became official
avgamerican (Diary) Wednesday, January 20th at 12:22AM EST (link)The entire democrat left wing agenda is on notice. Americans know you lied “You Lie!” Those of us here knew all along. It just took more of the voters to catch on. Now they have. They are going to spend the next three years trying to defend a disaster. Just wait till 2010 elections in November.
They're TONE DEAF!!!!
audax (Diary) Wednesday, January 20th at 5:06AM EST (link)It’s 5:02 AM EST and am listening to the US news on an Oregon radio station and they’re talking about how to cram down the Health Care Bill before Scott Brown takes his seat!!! Is MSM using “old” talking points or ARE THE DEMS tone deaf??
Audeamus pro audere est facere
I would only urge cautious optimism Jeff
Marcus_Traianus (Diary) Wednesday, January 20th at 7:56AM EST (link)Since situational awareness is a technique drilled into my head, I am somewhat pensive about this win. Make no mistake, I like Brown, provided he delivers on the campaign rhetoric of smaller, less intrusive and fiscally responsible government. Mr. Brown also primarily is seen as an anti-establishment Republican-which is good unless you are Mitch McConnell and the NRSC crew. However, while “killing” ObamaCare may be enough for some, it is not solely a perdurable modus operandi.
If ones takes a glimpse at the other New England “Republicans”, let’s hope that over time he does not morph into those castings. Don’t forget Snowe, Collins, et al were “hailed” as welcome additions to the party (remember Chaffee in RI?). Now they have turned into some of the most destructive forces to the party and conservative values.
We should be thinking ahead about the various positions and values the party wants to collectively center around in the year ahead. What has hurt the Democrats is not only the radical agenda they have pursued, but the fact that even with a super majority there are no accomplishments to which they can point. That latter issue can not be underestimated with the voting public, which brings me back to the original point on Brown.
There will be substantial pressure to get legislation passed (both economic and on health care) to show that Washington is working again and relief is truly on the way with Republicans. Brown has said that health care requires reform, just not the ObamaCare reform. I only wonder who will be cutting the “deals” with Democrats and what it will take to get them done? I also am curious what some of the “establishment” Republicans” who may see their own mortality in this election, will be doing from now until November.
All food for thought over the next 10 months. I simply am curious where we will be one year from now.
“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson