Tomorrow voters go to the polls to elect a senator to represent Massachusetts in the United States Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Edward Kennedy and currently filled by an interim appointed Senator.
This is I think a critical election. The Democrats currently hold 60 seats and by the current pansy-assed rules for filibusters need all 60 to get their legislation through. (Filibusters have not been non-stop dramatic speeches on the floor of the Senate as seen in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington for years and years. They are now gentlemen’s’ agreements to require 60 votes, something very different.)
If the Democrats lose this 60th vote Health Care Reform is almost certainly dead.
Frankly if I was forced to place a bet tonight it would be that the Democrats will lose this election. The wind is at the Republicans’ back and even in this bluest of blue states victory is within their grasp. Unlike the special election in NY which was primary a local election, this is state-wide and with broad and clear national implications. A defeat here is a defeat for the liberal agenda and could possibly herald a voter wave that might crash against the party in power in November. (Though November is a long way off electorially speaking.) Maybe even with enough anger and luck the Republicans can take control of the House of Representatives again.
If that happened it would not be the end of the world and the Republicans would have a chance to show that perhaps they have learned some lessons. (I harbor doubts on that front but would be delighted to be wrong.)
Of course they are unhappy campers. I don’t remember you being so happy on election night November 2008 or 2006. No one is happy when things go against their team. The conservatives are right to be happy at this moment. This was a victory that was quite unexpected just a few months ago. It’s not the end of the world for liberal and its not the end of troubles for the conservatives.
Brown wins! Woohoo!
Here are reactions from commenters at pro-Dem site Washingtonmonthly.com
http://www2.washingtonmonthly.com/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=22002
Not happy campers. One frequent reaction is to note how they can now kick Senator Lieberman to the the curb since they don’t need his vote anymore.
I tend to agree with you regarding the election. I suspect that Senator Kennedy’s long held seat had more to do with how well established he was in Mass. and less with any great passion that Mass. as a whole has for the Democrats. I just hope whatever happens that health care reform continues in some fashion. It is essential to our country’s future that we address this, whether we get the best plan right off or not.