In a startling turnaround from trailing by almost 30 points at the start of his campaign, Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley today to win the Massachusetts Senate seat held by the Kennedy family for over 50 years.
Brown ran a populist campaign, driving around the state in his pickup, taking minimal support from the GOP establishment, and relying on the Tea Party movement for small donations from individual contributors in an internet "Money Bomb" which added up to a big boost in the last week of the campaign. One effectve strategy was to play on the popular assumption that the Senate seat was Democrat property by stressing that he was running for "the peoples seat."
The Coakley campaign received massive support from the Democratic party, including a flood of party money, footsoldiers from the SEIU and appearances from party luminaries like Bill Clinton, John Kerry and President Obama. Yet all of this couldn't offset Coakley's gaffes and apparent attitude of entitlement or the overwhelming public dissatisfaction with Democrat policies.
In addition to the small core of Republican voters in Massachusetts, Brown drew two-thirds of the independent votes and even 22% of the Democrats. Voters were most concerned about the nation's growing debt and the relentless efforts of Democrats to pass a health care plan which most Americans disapprove of.
Brown's win shows that the Tea Party movement has a real constituency. They are independent voters who have had enough of politicians not listening to them and voted for Brown to be their voice in Washington. Stopping the healt hcare bill and restoring fiscal responsibility is a lot to expect from a single mortal, but with hundreds of congressional seats up for election in less than a year and the grassroots energized by this victory, Scott Brown won't be alone for long.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - cannonshop
A Democrat gave a concession speech...
Amazing. I expected recounts or lawsuits instead. (or some combination of the two, it'a been the standard modus operandi since 2000, after all...)
2 - Ruvy
Try fixing your lead, Dave. Kennedy was chosen in 1962 - 48 years ago - or LESS than fifty years ago. He was elected in a special election in 1962 and served his first full term from January 1965 onwards. He would have been due for re-election/retirement in Nov. 2012.
Humph!! I thought only lib'ruls couldn't do math!
3 - republicanblack
Good victory for Brown but will he make good on his promises to the tea party? The objectives the tea party is trying to achieve --- they are all going about it in the most ineffective way, I know this sounds crazy like I thought it did until I saw this article on exactly who the tea party is serving.
4 - Arch Conservative
Mary Jo has had her revenge!
5 - Arch Conservative
Brown won Hyannisport?
Scott Brown wasn't driving a pickup truck last night. He was driving a bulldozer and he drove it right through a little place called Camelot. When he was done he parked it right in the middle of that place, got out of the bull dozer, began walking away with his back to the dozer, pulled a detonation device out of his pocket and blew the whole damn place to hell!
Next target.....Barney Frank!
6 - Jeannie Danna
Let me remind readers here in this thread also, that there are more important things in this world besides saved tax dollars for Massachusetts voters; we have just heard that a 6.1 aftershock hit Haiti less than an hour ago.
7 - Andy Marsh
Ruvy - That was John's seat before it was Teddy's. John got it in '53. Vacated in '60, probably because John got elected Pres and then some guy named Smith had it for a couple of years. They're probably related somehow too. I remember a murder deal a few years back with some guy named Smith that was a Kennedy somehow or other. Who knows. Hyannisport is probably as bad as West-by-god Virginia when it somes to inbreeding!
Besides, the real deal is the fact that it's in Mass, a liberal strong hold, not just blue, but flourescent blue by most accounts and a republican won it. There was even a guy named Kennedy on the ballot!
And I bet you liberals still won't get it...we don't want your entitlement bullshit! Get a fucking job and fend for yourselves!
8 - Dave Nalle
Republicanblack, I'm afraid your source is desperately ill-informed. The RLC which is part of the Tea Party alliance is running hundreds of candidates for local office and also running candidates against big-government Republican incumbents in almost every state.
Dave
9 - Jeannie Danna
I fixed it for you.
wow, I'm scared... not!
10 - Dave Nalle
Jeannie, there's nothing to be scared of. You CAN learn to be responsible for yourself and not depend on the nanny state.
Dave
11 - Jeannie Danna
Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world, declared publicly that he ought to pay more in taxes...but doesn't to this day!
And then, we have the foolish little guy, who will continue to pay taxes at every turn and is being snow-jobed into believing the "Tea Party" will save him..WRONG!
But really, what is this obsession with not wanting to pay taxes? I say, STFU and, help your entire country prosper!
And Dave, deep down there in the bowels of the movement, I still sense those three letters. Prove me wrong! PLEASE!!!
12 - Jeannie Danna
I am not your nanny.
13 - Jeannie Danna
Later Dave,
There are more important stories to focus on today.
Did you hear? There was a 6.1 Aftershock this morning in Haiti and Southern California is in the midst of , mudslides, tornadoes and God only knows what else.
14 - Christine
Already made my comments about this "victory" last night on your other thread. Dave, have a great day.
15 - Jeannie Danna
Andy, #7,
The dictionary points to the meaning of the word narrow-minded, and it is synonyms with the word illiberal.
see below
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: biased, intolerant
Synonyms:
bigoted, conservative, conventional, hidebound, illiberal, insular, narrow, opinionated, parochial, petty, prejudiced, provincial, reactionary, short-sighted, small-minded, strait-laced, unenlarged
But then, look at the antonyms of this word.
Antonyms:
broad-minded, liberal, tolerant, unbiased
I love being called a liberal! Thanks :)
16 - STM
Andy: "That was John's seat before it was Teddy's. John got it in '53."
It's been a democrat seat since 1946, right?
And the democrats lost it during the first term of a democrat president in the most democrat friendly state in the US?
Fairly significant victory, then ...
plus it cuts the democrats' all-important numbers in the senate.
The president won't be a happy chappie tonight, will he?
17 - Cindy
I for one am done tolerating people who say things like this: And I bet you liberals still won't get it...we don't want your entitlement bullshit! Get a fucking job and fend for yourselves!
Take your game and go fend for your own self, preferably somewhere away from those of us who would like to act like human beings. You are an unfortunate outcome of years of inhumane thinking. I, for one, am done pretending that this is a political viewpoint rather than a human mental illness.
18 - Silas Kain
The irony is that Scott Brown won Ted Kennedy's own voting precinct. Or is it? I know Roger's disappointed in my glee. And while those on the right look at this as a validation of the Tea Party movement -- it isn't. Scott Brown has a year to make his case before he runs for reelection. He's NOT, I repeat, he's NOT this far right whacko who believes FOX is the only news source and Pat Robertson is the modern day John the Baptist. While the pundits outside Massachusetts will spin this every way they can they're missing the core to the voters' message last night -- we're sick and tired of politics as usual -- Mr. Obama and the Democrat majority have 6 months to change course and do something or November will make last night look typical. Brown gets it. Anyone who saw him speak last night got the message by his failure to even say the word "Republican". Brown's largest mistake was allowing the presence of Mitt Romney and that's not just me. That's about 35% of the crowd at the Park Plaza last night. Today's a new day. Brown owes no GOP luminary a thing. This was his campaign. His win. His chance. Go back to Salt Lake, Mitt. We don't want you here.
19 - Andy Marsh
JD - You're quite welcome.
I can point to a lot of words that the dictionary doesn't describe the way I or a lot of people I know describe them. Liberal would be one of them.
The problem with a liberals definition of the word liberal is that you all think it means you're supposed to be liberal with everybody elses stuff. You and your liberal friends can be as liberal as you want with your own money and possessions, how 'bout you leave your hands out of my pockets? You think the govt is the be all and end all to all your worries. You say stupid shit like, "Obamas my pres now, I don't have to worry about my mortgage payment or putting gas in my tank anymore!!!" I heard it from a woman in Norfolk, VA the day after the election!
You want free health care? Work for the govt! Do twenty in the military. Otherwise, put your hand in your own damned pocket and pay for it yourself!
And saying I don't want your entitlement bullshit is narrow minded? Maybe you should STFU...you said it first, don't get all pissy about it.
What does what one of the wealthiest people in the world does with his money have to do with what the average person does with theirs? Does Mr. Buffett live payday to payday? Or do you suppose he could wipe his ass with hundred dollar bills and not miss them? I hear it from all the rich liberals that everybody needs to give more. I heard Madonna gave $250,000 to Haiti relief. As a percentage to hers and my annual income, my $10 donation was just as big, maybe bigger.
20 - Cindy
May the death of the ideologies of right-wing Libertarians, authoritarians, and neoliberals be speedy. Freedom does not include being entitled to force others to live according to inhuman standards. Healthy humans require solidarity and love and community.
21 - Silas Kain
The seat Brown won was occupied by Henry Cabot Lodge in the early 50's previous to JFK. As Brown said this is "the people's seat" -- it belongs to no party, no ideology, no political dynasty. Women are not going to lose the right to choose. The elderly aren't going to lose Medicare. Gays will still have the right to marry.
22 - Andy Marsh
Comment #17 You're done tolerating me? As if you ever did. As if you tolerate anybody that doesn't think the way you do. Typical liberal...
I'm not saying there's not a place for medicare and medicaid. Some people can't take care of themselves. Some people end up on the wrong end of corporate greed and need a hand now and then.
But again, you liberals...hehe, I love using that term because it pisses you off so much...you liberals think that Darwins' Theory is the answer to everything, well, Darwin believed in survival of the fittest and as long as you keep helping the ones that should be gone due to natural selection, the world will never be a better place!!!
Have a nice day....
23 - Jeannie Danna
Andy,
Aren't you a veteran? I thought you had VA Health Care also..I earned my Health Care defending these little punks from the bag party and every one of these clowns crying right now are going to want Medicare Part B someday..isn't it funny how many hippocrates drink TEA?
Add the punctuation if you can't decipher it!
24 - Christine
Did you hear what Howard Dean said last night when he was interview by Maddow? He "blamed Bush" for Coakley's loss. Wow!
25 - Silas Kain
Barack Obama has a great opportunity on this anniversary of his inauguration. The vote in the Bay State yesterday is not a repudiation of him rather it's a complete rejection of business as usual in the Legislative branch. This is a day when the President has to make a decision between trying to please members of his own party or being his own man.