The Democrats in the White House say that Martha Coakley's political mistakes were the prime factors in her impossible defeat. There is some truth in that - but not a lot.
The Democrats in Massachusetts say that the Obama administration’s political mistakes were the prime factors in Coakley's impossible defeat. There is some truth in that - probably a lot. Scott Brown's prime issue was Obama’s health care reform bill.
During the campaign, Scott Brown said repeatedly that he approved and advocated water boarding of prisoners, a technique of torture that was dropped by the Bush administration after it was used for years. Neither the Boston Globe nor Martha Coakley passed this important information on to the voters.
Many Americans express their regret that there are so few women in the U.S. Senate. This was an issue in the Democratic Senate Primary but disappeared in the January 19 election.
Another disappearance was the viability of Ted Kennedy's legacy. He surely would have campaigned and voted for Coakley as his widow Vicki pointed out repeatedly. Yet the Kennedy endorsement was virtually ignored by the voters. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.
Obama, Bush and Clinton all promised to end hyper partisanship but the votes on health-care reform show that Obama is the latest president to fail to achieve reconciliation. American government is dysfunctional even when a party has a strong majority.
The US war in Afghanistan was not an important factor in the Massachusetts election although Brown supported the invasion and Coakley opposed it. When there is no draft or a tax to pay for the war, there is a tendency to pretend that we are not at war at all.
President Obama's approval rating is down to 46% but the White House has an idea to get it back up again. Just bring back Bush and Cheney for a week.
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2 comments:
You know Jerome, I taught my sons as infants they could be there own best friend or their own worst enemy. They learned she did not!
Neither she nor the White House took the race seriously until it was too late. She defeated herself.
She had the demeanor of the lawyer she is. She was too distant and dry, she went in vacation and left Brown to bond with the people.
He is going to caucus with Republicans of course and he is a Republican but he was smart enough not to mention it and ran as an independent.
This could be a good thing as Obama has already swiveled and if Republicans get the hint they will too but I have no faith that they will do the right thing for the country only the party. They smell blood!
Jerome I have been dwelling on this of course and I think it is a good thing for us!
Since Obama's election and promise of unity and success we have seen nothing but Partisanship and a promise by Republicans to make Obama fail.
Both party's only think about what is right for their party and the country and the people are not even a thought.
Our Government of the people, for the people, and by the people, fed by the Constitution has become a Government of the Politicians, for the corporations and affluent, by the Media, fed by the legal system.
SCOTUS just made that sickeningly true however I now think both party's as Danny said will start doing what the people want if only to save their jobs. I think we the people may be put back into the equation!
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