Howard Dean "Explains" Scott Brown's Win; Boston Democratic Voters Switch to Brown
Dean Stumbles on Maddow, but He Probably Doesn't Know It
Brown's lead at the time the January 19 Maddow program began was 53%-46%. By the end of the hour, Martha Coakley had conceded the election at 52%-47%.
Dean is a former Governor of Vermont, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005-2009, and a 2004 Presidential candidate. He used his noted political expertise to make the following remarks:
"Only losers blame others."
You've said a mouthful there, Howard. The Democrats and Obama administration have been blaming Bush for everything for quite a while. What does that make them? By the way, oil prices and unemployment are up again...can we still blame Bush?
"It's too bad she [Coakley] didn't win the seat. She's a serious candidate."
And Brown wasn't? Just because he didn't have the gazillions of dollars pushed at his campaign by Democrats doesn't mean he wasn't serious.
"Democrats need to get tougher...."
Tougher? How much tougher can you get than having closed door meetings while claiming the administration will be "transparent"? How much tougher than smearing the reputation and intelligence of every person with an opposing viewpoint to the healthcare plan?
"This is what happens when your message isn't clear. Scott Brown's message was clear."
No, Howard, Coakley's message resonated clearly with the people of Massachusetts. She was going to support a bad Congressional bill that was about to be forced through against the majority will of American citizens.
"George Bush would have had the health care bill done a long time ago."
Thanks for the vote of confidence for your ex-opponent! Dean went on to say Bush would have done it by using the reconciliation process. There is no evidence of this.
"This was not a backlash against the healthcare proposal; it was a backlash against Washington. Republicans wanted to kill this bill from the beginning just to embarrass Obama."
But, Howard, this wasn't a Republican, red-state backlash. Massachusetts has been an almost totally Democratic state for over thirty years.
According to MSNBC's Tom Curry quoting the state's election history, no Republican has won a Senate seat in Massachusetts since 1972. Nearly 90 percent of the legislature is Democratic. There are no Republican representatives in the House. Republican backlash, you say?
Boston Obama Voters Explain Switch to Brown
Meanwhile, over on Fox's Hannity Show, a panel of Boston Democratic Obama voters was being interviewed. There were approximately thirty. When asked how many voted for Obama in the presidential election but on Tuesday voted for Brown over Coakley, all but four or five raised their hands (video of this show segment does not appear available yet).
The group was polled for their reasons for switching to the Republican candidate (paraphrased):
-We're sick of politics more partisan now than ever.
-We're tired of bloated big-wig rescue packages.
-We don't want Medicare cut.
-Our healthcare system is good and needs repairs, not to be thrown away.
-The bill will not help physicians or patients (stated by a doctor).
Scott Brown may have won the seat by speaking much about the closed-door, partisan health care plans. Or, he may have won with one famous statement that will go down in history:
"It's not Ted Kennedy's seat...it's the peoples' seat."
The question remains whether Congress will try to use interim Senator Paul Kirk (D) to push the health care bill through before Brown is seated.
Sources not linked in text:
Brown "It's not Kennedy's seat" quote: Boston Herald and Boston Globe.
Published by Sheryl Young - Featured Contributor in Politics
Freelance writer since 1997; Featured Political Contributor for Yahoo!; Tampa Tribune Community Columnist/Blogger; Chicken Soup for the Soul; Amy Foundation National Writing Award; happy wife, proud step-mom... View profile
Ted Kennedy Receives US Presidential Medal of Freedom, but Remains Polar...Ted Kennedy receives the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Yet after all these years, he remains a polarizing political figure. Ted Kennedy is an ideological departure from JFK.- Scott Brown Centerfold: A Cosmo Hit Before ElectionScott Brown Centerfold is a Cosmo hit before the election. Back in the 80's politician Scott Brown posed for a centerfold photo. Like many things that you think are long gone, this action has turned around and has come
- Republican Scott Brown Wins Massachusetts Senate Race; Election Results PendingA shocking upset has taken place in the Massachusetts Senate election as Republican candidate Scott Brown is set to win the election over Democrat Martha Coakley
- Why Ted Kennedy Will Be Remembered as a Great Person in HistoryTed Kennedy was a very intelligent man. He knew how to speak to the multitudes and worked until the very end as a director of our nation.
Senator Ted Kennedy Has Died from Brain CancerSenator Ted Kennedy had been suffering through a battle with brain cancer that has finally claimed the partriarch of the Kennedy family. The Democratic senator passed away at h...
- Scott Brown Debates Martha Coakley, Raising Over a Million in One Day
- Scott Brown and Martha Coakley Vie for Votes
- Massachusetts Election Results Decide Fate of Scott Brown and Martha Coakley
- Democratic Convention First Night Schedule Features Michelle Obama and Possibly Te...
- Scott Brown vs. Martha Coakley - What Will Obama Do Now?
- Ted Kennedy Quotes: Will America Ever Be What Ted Kennedy Dreamed Of?
- Ted Kennedy Quotes
51 Comments
Post a CommentDon't count on Scott Brown as a rubber stamp yet...We Bostonians are independents. Most of our Republicans are too. Martha Coakley was a mistake.
Coakley seems to have assumed she would sail through to fill the seat, and if she failed to get out and listen to people, she deserved the beating (although it wasn't exactly a landslide).
Loved the commentary
Good coverage and analysis. Dean is a political buffoon. He reminds me of a barrel clown at a rodeo. (Sorry, I know that isn't very kind, but if the barrel fits....)
Here we go again. It's simply amazing the simpletons that leave comments on articles such as this. There is really a lot of ignorance and prejudice still hidden in this country. Great article though, but it definitely does bring out the lunatics.
is 'wrong.' I long for the days of bi-partisan support and across-the-aisle "Let's work hand in hand" for the good of the city/state/country. Guess that mind-set went out with common courtesy and being polite to others. Example: an elderly couple attending "Crazy Heart" yesterday when I was there stumbled, and the woman fell. It was dark. I feared she had hit her head. I was one entire row back, but I went down and asked if I could go get an usher, helped her elderly husband hoist her into her seat, etc. Nobody else did ANYTHING! (And there were men sitting to either side of this couple). After the film they came up to my row and thanked me for "my concern." I have "concern" for our country. I wish that the men (and women) I see sitting all around me would have "concern" that translates into cooperative action, rather than just hurling epithets at one another.
Hi, Sheryl! Thanks for the comment on my article. I'm lucky to get 2 comments and here you've got 49. Wow! Maybe I shouldn't have quit writing about politics and started in more on A&E, but, honestly, I'm like you in quitting (for a while) in watching a spectacle of one sort or another. One needs some time off. So, good to have you writing comments again, and I guess this article piqued my curiosity about where/what Howard Dean is up to. I thought he would be appointed to do something in the Health Care debate, since he is, after all, a doctor and was, after all, head of the DNC. But no sign that his expertise was appreciated or wanted. Too outspoken? Obama doesn't like him? What? Last I heard he and brother James were still organizing a grass roots Democratic organization which I am quite familiar with, but I haven't heard of it endorsing any candidates in my local elections of late. Hmmmm. Nice article. Sad to see stasis when either side sits on its hands just to prove the other side
Sheryl, what an insightful article! You've nailed it! A rule of thumb I have when listening to notable liberals: What they mean is exactly the opposite of what they say.
It will be really interesting to see how this all plays out. Great report, cheers.
Great job Sheryl. Amazing how Dem mouthpieces just will not admit this is about Obama and the direction of the Progressive agenda. Guest "Alex" proves my point perfectly - it's never the Progressive message and intent but always because Republicans stole something or lied to someone or had big corporate money. Any wonder these people are losing power?