Seismic. That’s the best word I heard Tuesday night listening to coverage of the special election in Massachusetts. There is the obvious explanation, there is the not so obvious, and there is the downright simple and quite boring.
A Referendum on Obama – The Obvious
Not just Healthcare, but the whole agenda. The buying of votes for millions in pork, the deals for labor unions so they avoid taxes that the rest of the middle class has to pay, and the complete and utter lack of transparency into every aspect of governing. There is such a disconnect between the rhetoric and the actions that it’s seems like there is a parallel universe the administration operates in where they believe their own stuff.
Door Number 3 – The Not so Obvious
Populist anger. Coakley represented the incumbent and stood in front of the tea party train. Never has the door been so wide open for the introduction of a third party. Anyone with the label Republican or Democrat has a target on his or her head. Americans are just pissed at the process in its entirety. Lou Dobbs, Sarah Palin, whoever the third party candidate will be in the next Presidential election, they will either be the first to win the White House, or the reason somebody else lost. Either way, that candidate will have a huge impact.
The End of Camelot – The Simple
Massachusetts is a blue-collar state. Notwithstanding the liberal bastion of Harvard, Massachusetts is a paradox. This is the state that originated “the hockey Mom”, not Alaska, and considers Cape Cod an exotic beach destination. I know Massachusetts, I lived there. Massachusetts loved that Ted Kennedy was their Senator; it brought prestige to a small state. They loved that the Kennedy’s, instead of becoming captains of industry, chose to serve. They chose to fight for the common man. But the people of Massachusetts and the Kennedy’s shared little in common aside from geography. So Massachusetts reverted back to its core and elected a blue collar, pick up truck driving state senator, a man of the people. No referendum, no message to DC. They just liked the guy, he was one of them.
Whichever version of the truth you buy, and all three might be true, its going to be an interesting 10 months till the mid term elections, and an interesting several weeks in Washington, DC.
What do you think?
Guest Blogger – Jeff Hine

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