It’s been called the next shot heard around the world, the transformation of the bluest of blue states into a new shade of Brown and a political tsunami – just to name a few. The victory of Senator-elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts should have been a wake-up call to the Obama administration that even in one of the most liberal states in our great union, the out- of-control spending and radical agenda relentlessly rammed down our throats by President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid has been resoundingly rejected. But all indications are that President Obama is stubbornly digging in his heels, and “stupidly” (to use his own term) pressing forward in arrogant defiance of the electorate he purports to represent. Despite the fact that Nancy Pelosi has said she doesn’t have the votes to pass healthcare, and the fact that Harry Reid will likely lose his Senate seat in November, the president has stated his intention to do everything he possibly can to pass his agenda.
The good news is that it appears many Democrats are no longer willing to walk the plank for their party’s leader; they aren’t going to risk their careers and political fortunes for a president that simply doesn’t get it – not to mention one whose coattails have already been rendered useless (just ask Creigh Deeds and John Corzine). When a Republican wins a Senate seat previously held for four decades by Edward Kennedy, the logical conclusion is that there is no such thing as a “safe seat” in this election cycle for any Democrat in the country. And you didn’t have to be a psychic to predict the outcome of the Massachusetts race – the signs were there well in advance of last Tuesday’s historic election results. Senator Chris Dodd had already announced his plans to forego another senate term in Connecticut, while Barbara Boxer (or “Ma’am” as I prefer to call her) has been polling poorly against both of her possible Republican opponents for several weeks. Perhaps in reaction to these events, many other congressional Democrats have announced their pending retirements.
Over at MSNBC, the primetime hosts are in mourning, obviously unable to understand why the public has turned sour on the president and congressional Democrats. But rather than present a thoughtful analysis for their viewers as to why this is the case, they resort to smearing those who disagree with their radical, leftist agenda as “racists” and “teabaggers” (a vulgar term that has no place on any respectable news outlet). Keith Olbermann went so far as to declare Scott Brown a racist simply for driving around his home state in his pick-up truck, making an effort to meet the folks he desired to represent (while his opponent apparently couldn’t be bothered seeking the approval of the masses).
In one of the most bizarre incidents, Chris Matthews and former DNC chair Howard Dean faced off on ‘Hardball’, trying to decide which of them was crazier. The “highlight” of this fiasco occurred when Howard Dean scolded Matthews, “There’s only one crazy person sitting at this table and I’m about ready to hold up a mirror so you can see his face.” If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to go YouTube to witness the absurdity for yourself.
So what lessons should we take away from all of this? Most importantly, in the aftermath of the 2008 election of Obama, there is no such thing as a “safe seat” in this entire country for either party anymore. The people are tired and they’re angry – enraged by the out-of-control spending, the backroom deals, and the unprecedented expansion of the Federal Government and the trampling of the Constitution by those who are sworn to protect it.
Republicans should proceed with caution and avoid all assumptions of automatically winning a race by virtue of having an “R” after their names. Candidates, now more than ever, will be required to convince voters that they’re worthy of the honor of representing them on every level of government.
I am a Republican, but I’m looking for Republicans that stand for the core principles of our Party: lower taxes; smaller government; personal responsibility; strong national defense; and adherence to the Constitution, which is a limiting document for the Federal Government – not the people. With that said, as a Republican, I expect that when a primary has ended and the dust has settled, the losing primary candidates support the nominee chosen by the constituents in their districts. Ronald Reagan, the conservative icon, said that a Republican should never speak ill of another Republican. When he lost his first presidential primary to Gerald Ford, he supported the Party’s nominee, because he knew two things; first that the Republican candidate was better than the Democrat alternative, and second (and more importantly) that the people had spoken.
Ultimately the government only has as much power as we the people give them. The Constitution is a limiting document, but the people are the true power in our great republic.
