rssTomorrow’s Conventional Wisdom, Today!
Monday, January 11, 2010 at 9:44 am
- 7 Comments
This is a starling quote from the omnipresent Larry Sabato, who tells the Boston Herald that Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley’s “light schedule of campaign events” is evidence of a lazy campaign that’s wasted a big lead in the Massachusetts special election. That’s not the money quote; this is.
In a competitive state, Coakley would be well on her way to losing. If the Democrats lose, they deserve to have health care go down.
That’s right–Coakley’s losing ground not because of health care, but because she’s running a lazy campaign. And if she loses, the Democrats “deserve” to have the health care bill fail. That’s some serious spin — it makes a wintry special election more important than the presidential election, 435 House races, and 34 Senate races that produced the current executive and legislative branches. And expect to hear more of that.
The Herald piece also gets into spin I’m hearing from a lot of Republicans — that, in the words of John Feehery, interim Sen. Paul Kirk (D-Mass.) “should’ve just shut up” instead of telling a reporter he’d vote for the health care bill no matter who won the special election. That doesn’t quite wash — Kirk would have caused a firestorm among liberals if he suggested that he’d vote against Ted Kennedy’s life’s work depending on who turned out in a January special election. But it’s become a rallying point for conservatives who, in the face of a less lazy Coakley campaign, are trying to keep up a push against her “arrogance.”
Follow David Weigel on Twitter
7 Comments
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 10:03 am
Boston area spin: http://www.savewrko.com/
Personally, I think the hype about Brown is just that, hype.
Coakley will win this election hands down.
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 10:21 am
States that are so controlled by one party do not look like real democracies.
The Democratic machine in Massachusetts reminds me of the 19th Century, and the arrogance to do what the elite thinks is right, no matter what the voters decide (only a “special election” according to the author, meaning, hey, it doesn't really count, cuz we are on the side of history and the voters are dumb anyways…).
Ridiculous.
Democratic sheep. Votes bought by throwing taxpayer money at interest groups. Identity politics. All the legacies of old ways, still alive in the Bay State.
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 11:12 am
Sorry, but I'm not a sheep. I vote Democratic because with the sole exception of Bill Weld, I could not stand the policies of any of the Republican candidates for statewide or local office that I've seen in the thirty years I've lived here. If the Republicans would run someone who supported equal marriage, reproductive rights, and fiscal responsibility I might actually support him/her. Unless and until that happens, I'm not putting my Constitutional rights, or those of my friends, in the hands of Republicans.
Sorry.
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 3:22 pm
States that are so controlled by one party do not look like real democracies.
Translation: If my preferred party is not popular with the voters in any given state, that state is undemocratic.
The Democratic machine in Massachusetts reminds me of the 19th Century
Wow, you are old!
(only a “special election” according to the author, meaning, hey, it doesn't really count, cuz we are on the side of history and the voters are dumb anyways…).
No, it's called a special election because it is outside of the normal election cycle, in this case to fill the seat of late senator. Weigel didn't give it the name “special election,” it is the conventional term for such elections.
Democratic sheep. Votes bought by throwing taxpayer money at interest groups.
Good thing Republicans don't throw taxpayer money to interest groups, right? If you believe that, I've got a nice bridge here for you.
Identity politics. All the legacies of old ways, still alive in the Bay State.
I suppose you're a fan of Sarah Palin and “real Americans,” right? But not identity politics! No way!
Can Republicans/Conservatives get any dumber or full of shit?
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 4:12 pm
Sorry, but I'm not a sheep. I vote Democratic because with the sole exception of Bill Weld, I could not stand the policies of any of the Republican candidates for statewide or local office that I've seen in the thirty years I've lived here. If the Republicans would run someone who supported equal marriage, reproductive rights, and fiscal responsibility I might actually support him/her. Unless and until that happens, I'm not putting my Constitutional rights, or those of my friends, in the hands of Republicans.
Sorry.
Pingback posted January 11, 2010 @ 6:19 pm
[...] 11, 2010 by Ned Resnikoff Via the ever-indispensable Weigel, I see that UVA professor and self-appointed high shaman of political [...]
Comment posted January 11, 2010 @ 8:22 pm
States that are so controlled by one party do not look like real democracies.
Translation: If my preferred party is not popular with the voters in any given state, that state is undemocratic.
The Democratic machine in Massachusetts reminds me of the 19th Century
Wow, you are old!
(only a “special election” according to the author, meaning, hey, it doesn't really count, cuz we are on the side of history and the voters are dumb anyways…).
No, it's called a special election because it is outside of the normal election cycle, in this case to fill the seat of late senator. Weigel didn't give it the name “special election,” it is the conventional term for such elections.
Democratic sheep. Votes bought by throwing taxpayer money at interest groups.
Good thing Republicans don't throw taxpayer money to interest groups, right? If you believe that, I've got a nice bridge here for you.
Identity politics. All the legacies of old ways, still alive in the Bay State.
I suppose you're a fan of Sarah Palin and “real Americans,” right? But not identity politics! No way!
Can Republicans/Conservatives get any dumber or full of shit?
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
