So much for the idea that this is a Democratic party stronghold.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
But what does this mean? This state also elected Mitt Romney (Republican) for Governor once, not long ago. Who signed into law a healthcare reform bill that looks remarkably like the one being wrangled over in the Senate. And so the electorate voted Democrat for the next Governor.
Kennedy was, of course, the most prominent liberal in Congress. That his vote is going to a Republican is giving that party no end of delight... it's like they've charged into the heart of their enemy's country and run up their flag.
Jobs are still not coming back and people are very disillusioned. But I'm incredulous that this angry white backlash is pinning its middle class economic hopes on the Republicans... can't they see that they are ALSO too cozy with special interests? Doesn't the Bush tax rollbacks for the wealthy give 'em a hint?
I could see this coming like a train wreck... Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat, did no real campaigning... very arrogantly assuming that she'd automatically be voted in. She finally rushed out a rash of negative tv ads against Brown, but that only made her look worse. So her campaign and the Democrats in general don't really have anyone to blame but themselves for losing that seat.
This is going to put the brakes on the healthcare bill in the Senate. In some regard that might be alright, seeing how watered down and compromised the thing is... many on the left now believe the healthcare bill is so disembowled of any real reform it's hardly worth the trouble. But it also is a huge defeat for the momentum that Obama had coming into office just one year ago. It's a pretty serious symbolic blow to the liberals.
The right wing boards are full of self-congratulating 'tea party' boneheads prattling on about giving the power back to the people, and sending those socialists packin', and all that plus some decidedly vintage language about 'flushing out the liberal vermin'. Ja, Ich kid du nicht.
But the joke will be on them in the end, 'cause we're still going to have close to 20 percent unemployment this year, and the next, and probably the next. Because neither party is really bold enough to go up against their masters, who have sold the jobs out and don't really give a fuck about foreclosures. They've got things goin' on all over the world.
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