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Sweet. :DQuote:
The Boston Globe reports that Martha Coakley has called Scott Brown to concede, according to a Brown aide.
Two Democrats confirmed the concession to POLITICO.
Her concession marks the most dramatic political upset in a generation, one that will be plumbed for meaning and spun over the next few days.
Well I guess you could say this result is a down with everything approach, some say it's a revolution likening Obama to the hated King George others that it is an epiphany and the end of a era which hadn't really got started but seriously it isn't a shot heard around the world but just a wimper but one thing appears certain, Obama is now a lame duck or as we say here out for a duck
If I recall even CNN said it was a shot heard round the world (just before the big 3, O'Donnell, Matthews and Olby, said the Dems' only hope was to be more liberal). A Republican hasn't held that seat since Henry Cabot Lodge. It's a state where only 12 percent identify as Republican, where Brown will be the only Republican in the state's congressional delegation. A state which voted for Obama with 61.8% of the vote. It's a pretty significant win.Quote:
Originally Posted by paraclete
That is a fair analysis. There is certainly no love affair with the Republicans here . They need to demonstrate this year that they will not repeat the mistakes they made when they were the majority.Quote:
Well I guess you could say this result is a down with everything approach
The reason there is this reaction is also because of misplaced priorities by the Dems. With unemployment in double digits ;it was not the right time to shove down the country's throats major radical social legislation that doesn't have broad support.
If they want to succeed they need to bring Republicans into the mix and together take real steps to get the economy running .
These steps should not include phony bucket list spending ;but instead should concentrate on tax reform . One easy one would be to compare how we punitively tax corporations compared to even the most socialist nations. Only Japan, at 39.54%, has a higher corporate rate than the U.S. which is 39.1% .Even France and Sweden has a lower corporate tax rate than the United States.
The administration should also look at the success of the company that refused bail-out money... Ford. Ford is experiencing a renaissance;gaining market share and reporting profits.For all of the greenies here;Ford refused government subsidies and instead has in development a number of hybrid and electric cars on their own.
The President should clean house of the losers who are advising him on the economy . He needs to bring in someone who understands monetary policy . The economy needs a strong currency to survive ;and it has been a decade since we have had a strong dollar policy.
My feelings, exactly! This is a watershed moment for Obama and the country. How will Obama react after repudiation in Massachusetts? My theory of 'organizational accountability' says Obama should fire everyone close to his administration within thirty days and start anew. Glenn Beck postulated that the Whitehouse crowd will 'devour their own', first. This will be fun.Quote:
Originally Posted by tomder55
It may not be a shot heard round the world but it is months definitely a shot that was heard loud and clear here.
Here's how Olby reacted:
He also implied we're just racists:Quote:
I wanted to apologize for calling Senator-elect Scott Brown an "irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, tea bagging, supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees." I’m sorry, I left out the word "sexist."
And people complain about Fox News...Quote:
"the Republicans and the Tea Partiers will tell you what happens with Scott Brown tonight whether he wins or comes close is a repudiation of Obama policies. And surely one of Obama's policies from the viewpoint of his opponents is it's OK to have this sea-change in American history—to have an African-American president. Is this vote to any degree just another euphemism the way 'states rights' was in the '60s?"
... and the 2 people who still watch his show went rabid.
They have to think now about what might have been . President Bush got much of his agenda passed in the 1st year by getting Kennedy et al to come on board. Just imagine how many Republicans would've broken ranks on a filibuster if they had just included something simple like tort reform in the health care legislation.
But instead of learning from this I expect they will take the advice of people like Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation or Ed Schultz who think the problem is that the President has not been "progressive" enough.
The Massachusetts Lesson: Go Populist Now
As far as I can tell, all that has happened here is that Cloakley has been given a lesson on electioneering. I have been invovled in more than one election (in Aus and NZ), and I can tell you that having a lazy nobody rely on the goodwill of their predecessor, is a kiss of death, even in seemingly "safe" seats. Perhaps things are different in the U.S.
No doubt this is a huge win for Republicans, however it seems to me that the Dem's "lost" it, rather than the Rep's "winning" it. If this was so important to the Dem's, the big names should have been invovled sooner (do you guys have "whips"?).
Either way, it makes for great viewing. It looks more like "Wrestlemania" on FOX with each passing day.
That is a given. Since the Republican party barely exists in Mass. Brown was on his own without any real party help. Perhaps he will be the lead in a party revival in the North East ,but you can never go wrong betting on the ability of the Republican to shoot themselves in the foot.Quote:
Dem's "lost" it, rather than the Rep's "winning" it.
The reason why this and the Virginia and New Jersey Governor races are notable is because the Dems have proven that when their ideas are put into practice the public rejects them. The other reason this race was crucial was because this seat was part of the Democrat super-majority in the Senate. No longer can the Dems think they can go it alone without Republican cooperation. They will have to build a consensus to get any of their agenda passed.
As I alluded to earlier, Norah O'Donnell and Matthews insisted the only way the Dems' aren't goners this year is if they double down on the progressive agenda. And people think Sarah Palin is dumb?Quote:
Originally Posted by tomder55
Hmm. Makes me think it comes down to good old "campaigning". Getting out there, shaking hands, expressing local knowledge, talking with people, etc. Sounds corny, but I've seen some "big players" get embarrassed by these simple tactics (John Howard for one).Quote:
Brown was on his own without any real party help.
Good luck to the young man. I'm sure he stands for most things I don't.
Vince McMahon for Pres.. He knows how to get things done, and with an iron fist.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokugawa
Jesse Ventura couldn't, might as well let the big guy try.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skell
His wife has more than a puncher's chance to take the Senate seat fromQuote:
Vince McMahon for Pres.. He knows how to get things done, and with an iron fist.
Connecticut being vacated by Dodd.
A closer examination will find that he is quite moderate by American standards.Quote:
Hmm. Makes me think it comes down to good old "campaigning". Getting out there, shaking hands, expressing local knowledge, talking with people, etc. Sounds corny, but I've seen some "big players" get embarrassed by these simple tactics (John Howard for one).
Good luck to the young man. I'm sure he stands for most things I don't.
It is true that he out worked his opponent in this race ;but the seat he took was the seat of a democrat icon and the symbolism of that defeat should be shaking the dems to their core.
In 1994 the Dem majority was swept out of power ;leaving Bill Clinton no choice but the shift focus on his agenda.Gone was a crazy fabian agenda ;replaced by a more moderate one that ultimately positively reformed welfare. Due to the lesson he learned he was able to secure a second term .
President Obama should take a page from that book and redirect his administration that has done a poor performance to date.
If Jesse Ventura ran the USA like he did Minnesota he'd ditch all the Washington baloney in a heartbeat. He is one no nonsense guy. Too bad he's not running for President anytime soon.
Most of his plans never made it to the floor of the legislature because he did not have any party support . So although he did a nice job with his veto pen;he never really got his agenda in place.
I would argue that Obama is not yet at the point of Clinton's 'the era of big government is over'. The disciples of big government are still in play, minus one. Remember, ol Clinton was on the Hill saying the Dems were clobbered because they didn't pass legislation; and some Dems are using that tack today. I haven't heard anything from ol Clinton since Tuesday's result. But if Obama believes that, then we will get an earful at the State of the Union address, and expect Pelosi and Reed to turn the dogs loose, again.
Well now we will see what support there is for trimming the fat cat's whiskers. Is the move populist or long overdue anti-trust reform?
Neither Clete, Coakley lost because she's a woman. It was that
Misogynist Massachusetts that defeated Coakley, female attorney general of the state who won that post over a man.
Misogyny?? Not in a liberal state... the libs never practice misogyny.
Olberman... Malkin is a “big mashed up bag of meat with lipstick.”
Obama... Palin... "lipstick on a pig" .
Letterman.. Palin has a "slutty flight attendant look".
Specter recently told Michele Bachmann to "act like a lady" .
Jerry Adler recently ran a "win a date with Palin contest " article.
Al Gore's Current TV called Palin Gun-Ho. To my knowledge no one called them out the way Imus was .
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...palincword.jpg
And lets not forget that the libs excused the conquests of Bill Clintoon of Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Katherine Willey, Juanita Broadderick, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Perdue.I guess his were acceptable because he did not father a child from his affairs.
The examples are endless.
No, no misogyny on the left. Did you catch Jon Stewart ripping Olby?
Will have to catch it later on a different computer.
I would love to see Stewart and Olby in a debate . Oh that's right Olby doesn't have to gonads to have anyone on his show with an opposing viewpoint.
I'm sure you'll appreciate it. By the way, let us all offer a moment of silence for Air America...
RIP... where will the likes of Ed Schultz and Randi Rhodes spew their bile now ?
Oh that's right... Schultz is on MSNBC
As is Rachel Maddow, and I'm sure Olby will continue to enable Janeane Garafalo's blather.
The President went to school on the election and decided to renew his populist campaign against the banks yesterday. This is clearly a 'find a scapegoat to take to the woodshed' moment.
At a time when unemployment is at 10% + he is going to wage wars against the institutions that loan money to small businesses that create jobs . Brilliant!
The market reacted predictably to his "Now is not the time for profits" pablum.
His rant against TARP is of course revisionist history .Yes it's true that it was Paulson from the Bush adm. That panicked and rushed the no strings attached bailout through . But ;it was the Democrat leadership ,and the junior Senator from Illinois ,as well as the vast majority of the rank and file Democrats in Congress that passed the $750 billion theft.
So CNN is to be considered the arbiteur of world shattering events. Face it, it is only important to a small number of people, just as the Prime Minister of Australia losing his long held safe seat in the last election to a first time candidate, embarrassing, and difficult to overcome, Yes, but Earth shattering, hardly. The reality is when you take the electorate for granted you suufer the consequences, whether you are a king, a king maker, or a pauper.Quote:
Originally Posted by speechlesstx
Yep, and the market went up Monday - largely on health care stocks - on the belief Brown would win. Today Obama said something about bankers who "click their heels and watch their stocks skyrocket."
Also today he claimed, "this is not about me!" Next thing you know he'll be driving a pickup.
From what I've read about what has transpired since his election I really don't think I like this Scott Brown. He is definitely not what he seems or wants everyone to think he is. He's definitely on the take with his hand out big time. Just wait and see if America gets some sort of "manipulated health plan" courtesy of Brown.
By the way, according to Howard Fineman of Newsweek pickups are racist.
This is all too confusing, is it Massachusetts misogyny, racist trucks or that "'male-dominated' Democratic Party" that brought Coakley down?Quote:
FINEMAN: Maybe not in Massachusetts, but maybe in some places, there are codes, there are images, ah, you know, there are pickup trucks, uh, you could say there was a racial aspect to it one way or another.
OLBERMANN: What were the Scott Brown ads, though? Every one of the Scott Brown ads had him in a pickup truck.
FINEMAN: That’s why I mentioned pickup trucks. I mean, my mind goes back to Fred Thompson down in Tennessee.
Twink
There is no doubt that at best Brown can be called a moderate. However he made it clear in the campaign that he was the 41st vote against Obamacare.
The Dems are now making hay because he said he thinks that everyone should have health insurance. But this is not new either .Throughout the campaign he said “Health care should be available to all, but I oppose Obama's plan.” It is also a fact that in Mass. He voted for Romney's plan. Throughout the campaign he said each State should come up with the plan best suited for the state.
One should not expect a Republican from the North East to be hard right. They cannot win unless they are so called "compassionate conservative" .
Bottom line,he was a better choice than Coakley ,and can prevent Democrats from pushing their agenda too far. Even Pelosi now says she doesn't have the votes to pass the final package.
What's next from the White House:
Finally, there is increasingly open Democratic disaffection about the way Mr Obama is managing relations with Capitol Hill. Many believe that Rahm Emanuel, Mr Obama’s aggressive chief of staff, served Mr Obama badly by persuading the president that his election was a transformational moment in US politics that gave him the opportunity to push through long-cherished Democratic goals, such as healthcare reform.
In fact, exit polls from Mr Obama’s election showed that almost two-thirds of the voters cited the economy as their chief concern, with fewer than one in 10 mentioning healthcare. Mr Emanuel is also perceived to have mishandled the day-to-day logistics of getting healthcare through Congress.
By leaving the scripting of the details of the healthcare bill to Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, the White House openly courted the risk of chaos. Tellingly, in his victory speech in Boston on Tuesday, Scott Brown, the new Republican senator, cited voter disdain for the sight of lots of “old men” on Capitol Hill bickering over healthcare reform at a time when their priority was jobs.
“I haven’t seen Rahm Emanuel except on television,” Jim Pascrell, a Democratic lawmaker from New Jersey, told Politico, the news website, on Friday. “We used to see him a lot; I’d like him to come out from behind his desk and meet with the common folk.”
In short, Mr Obama’s nightmare January could easily slip into a nightmare February. “Unless and until the president changes the way his White House, works, things are going to continue to go badly for him,” says the head of a Democratic think-tank. “Heads still have to roll.”
FT.com / US / Politics & Foreign policy - White House nightmare persists
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