As I sat down to watch the election returns from Massachusetts last night the first thing that stood out was that the Democratic circular firing squad had already formed before one vote had been counted. The White House was blaming Martha Coakley for running a poor campaign, and the Coakley campaign was blaming the White House and the DNC for being too little and too late with their support. Which one is right? Both. Both were guilty of the same thing-they took too much for granted and assumed. And you know the old saying about "ass-u-me-d." Both thought they would coast to an easy victory. After all, this was Massachusetts, about as blue as a blue state gets, and a seat Teddy Kennedy had held for 46 years. What could go wrong? As it turned out, plenty.
A few observations, questions answered, and those still to be answered:
Is health care reform dead? In it's current form, probably so. One of, if not the, biggest themes of Scott Brown's campaign was that he was going to be the 41st vote against the current health care legislation, and he won convincingly. That sounds like a message to me, and apparently it does to other Democrats in Washington as well.
What do the Democrats do now on HCR? Here's where they're stuck. If they don't pass anything, it's a political disaster. It means they've spent the better part of a year on it and accomplished nothing. And you can bet their Republican opponents will hang that around their necks from now 'til November. If they pass the Senate version as is they further alienate the Democratic base, who see it as too watered down and too weak to constitute the real reform the president promised, and who might stay home in November because of it.
Was last night a referendum on President Obama? In my opinion, yes. For different reasons he's lost the support of not only the Democratic base but the Independents as well. The base because he has gone back on so many of his campaign promises, and the Independents because they want to see results. A telling statistic from last night was that 22% of Democrats voted for Brown. I don't know about previous elections, but I'd be surprised if 22% of Democrats in Massachusetts ever voted for one of Ted Kennedy's Republican opponents.
Speaking of surprised, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday before the polls closed that the president was "surprised and frustrated" at the prospect of Coakley losing to Brown. Really? I'm surprised that he would be surprised, taking into account the polls, which for the last month have shown Brown catching and then overtaking her. Again, too much assuming going on. Just so Gibbs and the president aren't "surprised" again, here's a heads up--there's a strong anti-incumbent mood out here. People are tired of business as usual.
In listening to Democratic and Independent voters interviewed last night and reading some accounts this morning, the phrase "send a message to Washington" has been repeated. The message from the base being, 'do what you said you were going to do,' and from the Independents, 'enough bickering over health care, people are hurting out here, get on to the economy.'
Will the message get through? It had better, or the mid-terms in November will be ugly.
A few observations, questions answered, and those still to be answered:
Is health care reform dead? In it's current form, probably so. One of, if not the, biggest themes of Scott Brown's campaign was that he was going to be the 41st vote against the current health care legislation, and he won convincingly. That sounds like a message to me, and apparently it does to other Democrats in Washington as well.
What do the Democrats do now on HCR? Here's where they're stuck. If they don't pass anything, it's a political disaster. It means they've spent the better part of a year on it and accomplished nothing. And you can bet their Republican opponents will hang that around their necks from now 'til November. If they pass the Senate version as is they further alienate the Democratic base, who see it as too watered down and too weak to constitute the real reform the president promised, and who might stay home in November because of it.
Was last night a referendum on President Obama? In my opinion, yes. For different reasons he's lost the support of not only the Democratic base but the Independents as well. The base because he has gone back on so many of his campaign promises, and the Independents because they want to see results. A telling statistic from last night was that 22% of Democrats voted for Brown. I don't know about previous elections, but I'd be surprised if 22% of Democrats in Massachusetts ever voted for one of Ted Kennedy's Republican opponents.
Speaking of surprised, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday before the polls closed that the president was "surprised and frustrated" at the prospect of Coakley losing to Brown. Really? I'm surprised that he would be surprised, taking into account the polls, which for the last month have shown Brown catching and then overtaking her. Again, too much assuming going on. Just so Gibbs and the president aren't "surprised" again, here's a heads up--there's a strong anti-incumbent mood out here. People are tired of business as usual.
In listening to Democratic and Independent voters interviewed last night and reading some accounts this morning, the phrase "send a message to Washington" has been repeated. The message from the base being, 'do what you said you were going to do,' and from the Independents, 'enough bickering over health care, people are hurting out here, get on to the economy.'
Will the message get through? It had better, or the mid-terms in November will be ugly.
It appears that a well educated reasonable man with a world view and empathy for the people cannot succeed in the Presidency. It was a grand experiment, but perhaps too late for the times. The hope was there, but cascaded down with despair and will continue to diminish with the coming insolvency we all face.
Yep! Angry, uninformed and ignorant racists in the Republican ranks, and total complacency on the left side of the aisle.
That complacency has jumped up and bit us in the ass.
I need some of that martini going around....
We've had a group on uninformed, angry voters for years. They used to be called Republicans. But Republicans weren't sufficient uninformed or angry enough, and didn't sufficiently believe in absurd conspiracy theories to suit the teabaggers. It was imperative they be allowed to publicly proclaim their anger and their stupidity, over and over again, all proudly displayed for the nation to see by Fox News. And clearly they hit their target - we learned that there are lots and lots of angry, stupid people who are still able to find a polling place. Anger and stupidity don't make a voter right, just angry and stupid.
Oh, and about chron.com....they have high speed internet into ALL the state hospitals. And those people have unlimited access to computers and lots of time on their hands.
My cousin told me so. He's a doctor there, not a patient. Or so he tells me.
Great minds think alike.:-)
I miss Der Weinerschnitzel too. Not the hot dogs. Just the cute buildings and the WeinerMobile.
My friend, you come up with some really obscure things in your posts. I haven't thought about Orange Julius since '83 or '84 when they were in virtually every mall.
cash...You're dead on about the chron. It's been overrun by nuts. That's why we started this blog, to get away from the silly back and forth there. About the tri-corner hat guy, I formed my opinion about the Teabaggers watching Fox's wall to wall coverage of 70,000 of those nuts waving Nazi and "Obama is a Muslim" signs, lying about "death panels" and other such nonsense. I also watched town hall meetings highjacked, people carry guns to meetings where the President is, and listened to the outrageous rhetoric pouring our of Fox, Rush, and the Republican leadership. I've watched my own representative, John Culberson, make a complete ass of himself on national television throwing pages of a health care bill draft all over the steps of the Capitol. I've listened to every attempt at an adult conversation about health care, jobs, the wars, terrorism, and the economy met with hyperbole and outright lies. I've listened to people scream about spending, back room deals, and secrecy even though those very same people were silent for 8 years while GWB and company were spending, making back room deals, and conducting much of the people's business in secrecy. I've watched the re-emergence of bigotry and racism since Obama took office. So...I would say that I'm not making "sweeping generalizations", I'm just reacting to the right wing carpet bombing over the last year.
We certainly welcome active debate on these pages and are glad you are participating. We're still relatively new, having started in August, and our readership has been building and diversifying. You are most welcome to read, comment, and argue if you'd like.
Well Bob...I would think that guy was an idiot......but wouldn't form a sweeping generalization about every one around the guy. The guy has his constitutional right to be a douchbag after all.
And I dont take issue with most of the content of your blogs.....just the way they are presented. From what i've seen...it doesnt promote debate as much as it sets off the oppostion to want to argue more than debate. Plus i rarely see any opposition on this site.
Hell i've been hesitant to post here.....but the nuts on the chron are only good for so much comical entertainment. Serious discusions cannot be found there.
Cash - What would you have me call them? "Patriots"? "Wanting their country back"? Fox started all the teabag/teabagger nonsense, we just picked it up because it fits, and you have to admit that it is certainly entertaining. When you see some idiot wearing a tri-corner hat waving an Obama-as-Hitler sign, what other conclusion do you think others will draw?
Want to debate? Great. Want to complain about content? Not interested.
I am not surprised that Brown won. Coakley ran a bad campaign and took a lot for granted. People are getting fed up, most already are. Sick of the bickering back and forth and unwillingness of both parties to work together for the common good. We need jobs, we need healthcare, we need reform on Wall Street. Time for the president to take stock and deliver on his promises. I'm still supporting the president though and stand behind him. I do think some of these things take time and let's face it, he has not had an easy start but time to get down to real business.
First off, anybody who think Bob and Des are the same isn't paying attention. Des has bigger ears.
Now, OTOH, Barry Manilow and Joe Montana ARE the same person as are Kevin Spacey and Gary Sinise in a parallel universe. And, for the record, Rush Limbaugh IS the spawn of Satan. He admitted this under sedation while in Hawaii.
Now, I fear that Obama MAY soon be compared to 'New Coke". It appears he is experienceing the same success.
Gosh, I don't know what we are gonna do here. Can ANYTHING be salvaged by this congress?? They have looked worse than Dallas Cowboys last weekend. 34-3??????? God, I hope that's not the final word on this president and this congress.
I suppose all we can do is say (throw) a "Hail Mary" and hope for the best.
HOw in the hell did 1 senator get to be so powerful??? I don't think the constitution INTENDED this.
If we EVER start another country from scratch, we need to 1) Change that "freedom of speech" provision and 2) eliminate the bi-cameral legislature. Oh, and 3) bring back Orange Julius.
and i appoligize. your write ups were similar....i will admit after reading teabagger a few time i went with the TLDR
Bob
The main difference is Des had the descency to not rant about "teabaggers" and "wingers". You seem to be an intellegent individual....so stooping to that level to make a point doesn't seem quite prudent.
I'm more than game for a debate....but if i'm just going to be labeled.....i'd just as soon pass......
Ahhh, a lame try at the old divide and conquer routine.
Yes, and I'm not sure what cash is referring to. We both said Coakley ran a terrible campaign and that everyone is blaming everyone else, we both said health care reform is dead (at least in this form), we both said the whole situation is badly handled. You and I always approach issues from a different angle (even though some readers accuse us of being one in the same), but I don't see some huge gap that cash is asserting.
Thanks Cash, but difference of opinion is what politics is all about. If everybody saw everything the same way it wouldn't be any fun.
nice write up Des....Just a shame Bob has a totally differnet opinion of how this all went down.
The President surprised and frustrated ? He must not read the paper or maybe none of his advisors likes to discuss bad news with him. He needs to wake up and wield the power of his office as if he means what he says (said).
Amen.