Massachusetts meltdown
It was South Florida's own Debbie Wasserman Schultz who said it best during the election post-mortem last night: "Throughout my career in politics, I've learned that you can never, ever take a vote for granted."
Now, Debbie represents one of the safest Democratic congressional districts in Creation, so if she says it, it's probably true.
Martha Coakley might have eked out a win, even in this inhospitable anti-government environment--particularly in royal-blue Massachusetts--but she didn't follow Debbie's dictum.
As the Democratic National Committee and the White House will trip over themselves to tell you, she ran a historically inept general election campaign, beginning with the assumption that winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to a coronation.
It would be an error--and delusional--for the Democrats to place all the blame on the hapless Coakley for losing Ted Kennedy's seat. Now that the people have spoken so emphatically, the Dems would be wise to reexamine their agenda and priorities if they intend to hang onto Congress in November. To paraphrase Bill Clinton, "It's jobs, Stupid."
Let's not forget this is the same seat once occupied by the Henry Cabot Lodges, Senior and Junior. As the establishment learned the hard way yesterday, there's no law saying it's perpetual Democratic property.




CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
Representative Schultz should be next on the list to be voted out. She never has an original thought and only does exactly as she is told by Pelosi etc. If she is so smart , let her run an education meeting on all sections of the health care bill and explain section by section why it is good for south florida,then follow it up with sessions on Cap and Trade , this would of course mean she would have to read and understand these bills.
Posted by: pallidin | January 20, 2010 4:42 PM
Still wondering why this election with such national implications has zero references on SS home page of this site? Broward County is liberal turf but this story is crowded out by more Rothstein auction references? Paleeezeee.
Posted by: Jack from Fort Lauderdale | January 20, 2010 4:57 PM
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, they're comin to get you girl, you're next.
Posted by: james cianci | January 20, 2010 6:16 PM
The voters keep looking for the best alternative to both republicans and democrats, but the best they can do is just alternate between them :-(. When Obama was talking so much about change during the campaign, I figured if he really meant it, he could prove it by winning the votes to get the democratic nomination, then at the convention he could get up and make a speech turning down the nomination because he really meant what he said about change and would be too ashamed to have either R or D stuck after his name on a ballot. Once he didn't act out my little fantasy, I knew nothing would change after all (other than going from a president who can't form sentences to one who can talk reel purty :-).
Posted by: Tom | January 20, 2010 9:20 PM
The people of Mass. have spoken for the rest of the country. The irony of having a Republican (from Ted Kennedy's former seat) be the vote needed to stop healthcare reform borders on the surreal. Time and again Americans have shown that they do not want a Euro style healthcare system in the U.S. They also do not like over spending, higher taxes (btw, I'm still waiting for 95% of us to receive a tax cut), and giving terrorists the same rights you and I would have. Yet the Lexus Liberals tell us to shut up and sit down for they know what's best for us. This latest vote is how we tell them, "no you don't."
Posted by: Barry O. | January 21, 2010 7:15 AM
One of the most liberal states has put a Republican in a former Democrats seat, get used to it, this is just the beginning. I can't wait until the 2010 elections when we can clean house....and senate.
The Dems are saying Coakley lost because she wasn't liberal enough! Keep believing that, I'm sure it's true and it will all work out for you in the end.
I know I will be voting for "change" in the next election.
Posted by: Pointman870 | January 21, 2010 7:26 AM
The Dem's circular firing squad strikes again...They were so busy,(trying to be bipartisan) they ran off the road)-into a big ditch of their own making...It's over! call the tow truck.
Posted by: Lorraine Wagner | January 21, 2010 9:13 AM
The bumper sticker should say "Thank me, I'm from Massachusetts.
Liberal Chan still referring to it as "Kennedy's seat".
FYI Chan....Coakley did not LOSE Kennedy's seat...Brown WON the people's seat!
When our president campaigns for the dem candidate w/ his arm around her in Mass...and CANT WIN in Mass...it shows his ride is over & he has no political weight to throw around. If a senate seat in Mass can go repub...that means NO DEM HELD senate seat is safe.
1 term Obama...just like Jimmy Carta.
Posted by: Sebastian The Ibis | January 21, 2010 9:51 AM
Sebastian:
Before you comment the next time, make sure you read all the way to the last paragraph.
Chan
Posted by: Chan | January 21, 2010 10:05 AM
Biggest story in politics -- Senator Elect Scott Brown hits D.C. today. Not covered by the SS because it doesn't suit the SS's politics.
Look at your poll and see what the on-line participants think about The Feckless One. Perhaps you might sell more papers if you showed some objectivity. But just like the Old Gray Lady, you'll go down with your Liberal guns blasting I suppose.
Posted by: Jack from Fort Lauderdale | January 21, 2010 11:47 AM
Lorraine, "trying to be bipartisan" does not mean buying votes through Mary Landreu and Ben Nelson (i.e. the Louisiana purchase and the cornhusker kickback). It also does not mean Pelosi and Reid locking themselves in a room to, "iron out the details" while not allowing CSPAN to broadcast any part of it. Obama ran on a, "new age of government with openness and transparancy." What the Dems have done is not what our Founding Fathers envisioned. Democracy? Hardly.
Posted by: Barry O. | January 22, 2010 7:47 AM
Barry O
This might surprise you,but as a Independent voter I mostly agree with you..especially regarding the CSPAN issue.Nor do I like "back-room deals" which both parties participate in,on a regular basis.Unfortunately there's a name for that--It's called "Politics"...with both being partisan to their fellow members.With few exceptions,neither has clean hands,or minds,sad to say.Transparency? From the R's or D's ?Yeah- It's clear as mud,on a rainy day.
Posted by: Lorraine Wagner | January 22, 2010 10:35 AM
I realize back room deals have always gone on. However, when you have a bill as large and important as this, you need to let every American know what is going on. After all, it would affect 98% of all Americans. This isn't some NTSB safety bill. Agree?
Posted by: Barry O. | January 22, 2010 2:08 PM
We, the voters, are just "spinning our wheels"- Going nowhere..Corptoratocracy has the "wheel" and will drive us in any direction they want.Agree.?
Posted by: Lorraine Wagner | January 22, 2010 3:46 PM
No. You should take control of your own wheel and drive wherever it is you want to go. But even if you're right, I'd rather give "Corptoratocracy" the wheel rather than Big Government.
Posted by: Barry O. | January 22, 2010 5:49 PM