I will rain - just a little bit - on the Scott Brown parade.
I find it interesting and telling that in his victory remarks (and for that matter, throughout his campaign), he has emphasized the "independent majority" in Massachusetts. That appeal obviously proved to be very smart and effective politics.
To be sure, Brown's positions sound to me like they classify him as more conservative than otherwise - at least on fiscal and security matters. But it's my guess that you're not going to see him appearing on the same platform with Sarah Palin, not buddying around with Glen Beck and Rush. He will keep a arm's length from movement Conservatives; he won't do anything to alienate them, but won't want to seen to be associated with them too closely, either.
He's tapped into a potent political force - that independent majority - and I expect he'll work that angle pretty vigorously.
He may be a guy on the white horse, in other words.
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Great point, Bill; and I agree. The independents outnumber both Dems and GOP'ers in Mass. I think you will see more of that around the country. It's the result of people's disgust with the two major parties. That, rather than anything about Brown himself, is the seismic story here.
Here's some left wing spin for you guys to chew on.
The senate is now 59-41, same it was after the Nov. elections.
It is always much harder to defeat an incumbent. Remember, this election was between two newbies.
Massachusetts governorship had 16 years of Republican rule until the current governor was elected in 2006.
He has to run again in 34 months.
He is pro choice and against Roe v. Wade being overturned.
I think Bill's analysis on Brown's position(s) is probably spot on.
My take....if the Republicans continue to be the party of no, they have no chance of becoming the majority in 2010 elections.
I do think it bears repeating that Brown did run as a Republican, after all, so he hasn't utterly shed all party ties and party identity. And the people of Massachusetts did, after all, vote for him - as a Republican.
And I don't think you can dismiss the unambiguous rejection of the Obama agenda at work here. To see anything else un this outcome, at the end of the day, is an exercise in denial.
Still, to repeat my original point . . . don't look to Brown to coddle the movement Conservatives. He will not alientate them; neither will he overtly embrace them. Which I think makes for a potent mix right now.
I was listening to this guy on tv last night and his analysis was pretty much with Bill's. This guy seemed to think that Brown was right on the edge of maybe not even meeting the 7 out of 10 (?) edicts the Republicans list to be a viable candidate. I guess his voting recoord over the next 34 months will determine that. He said some conservative site was already asking almost promoting is he a viable Prez candidate. If he is indeed pro choice, I would say a big time no. Then he was asked will he get primaried in 2012 if he does not tow the tea party line. This guy said he could get a free pass basically because as Bill says, "....a guy on the white horse". I personally have no idea if he represents the tea party movement or not or even what all the tea party issues are.
Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled with the Brown victory. But to suggest at this stage that he is a possible presidential candidate in 2012 is nothing more that the celebrity cult at work. I believe this is where Sarah Palin is now living. She got a taste in '08 of what it's like being a celebrity and she liked it. So now she's milking it for all it's worth (and I don't blame her for this). This also is how Obama got elected -- he became a celebrity.
Can't we be patient as a society and give people time to prove themselves. Frankly, when Sarah resigned her governorship, that was it for me. I wouldn't want a president who might be inclined to resign in the middle of a term because the goin's gettin' tough. Celebrity can arise in a moment, but it takes time to prove one's character.
Concerning the power of celebrity, please see my post on October 24, 2008.
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