Seeing red: Graphic of the night — and a cautionary note for the GOP
How ya like these red apples?
(h/t Mary Katharine Ham)
January 19 was an amazing day for grass-roots conservatism. But the Beltway GOP should be warned against unjustified triumphalism. They were late to the game. Activists still haven’t, and won’t, forget the massive amounts of money Washington, D.C. Republicans wasted on Dede Scozzafava. And Scott Brown quite noticeably didn’t mention the word “Republican” once during his prepared remarks.
The GOP brand is still damaged. And instant exploitation of the Brown win — see the NRSC website here — isn’t going to help matters. As I’ve said for many years, the Republican Party needs to clean its own house before it demands that the Democrats clean theirs.
The Brown victory was very clearly a strike against machine politics of all kinds and business as usual in Washington. That includes top-down meddling by tired old GOP operatives. The party bosses have tried to install their preferred Senate candidates in Florida, Colorado, and California. They will use Brown’s win to argue for more “mooooooderation.” As I wrote yesterday in my analysis of how Brown unified a center-right-indie coalition, that is not the lesson of the Massachusetts miracle.
Wake up and smell the Tea Party leaves.
***
Heh.
***
One more cautionary note: Tonight is unquestionably a night to celebrate. But remember to manage your expectations, as always, of all politicians. You’ll be less disappointed when they inevitably let you down.
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Im enjoying the win and the chaos that its causing, but I listened to his remarks pretty carefully. I dont trust him… yet. We’ll see.
Mark Sanford burned us. Bad. I dont trust unconditionally anymore
Michelle, Michelle, Michelle….
Hit the rack, dear. You deserve it. It’s been a long day.
Considering the GOP “machine” all but ignored Scott, while it gave almost $1,000,000 to DeDe Scozzafava, it should be clear that Scott’s victory was because:
1. he is a savvy politician
2. he received massive grassroots support nationwide as well as in Mass.
The national GOP, at least, ‘won’ in spite of their own deafness to voters.
The next battles for us will be in the primaries of certain RINOs who need not be re-sent to Washington…
Steele also needs to go..He should have been gone yesterday. He’s deadweight.
Browns win is the first step in taking back our party then taking back the country. The GOP brand is so bad the had to hide the money they used to help him. Instead of celebrating the RNC should be stepping back and start supporting the grassroots let the grassroots choice there leaders.
Last week Steele was saying the right words… so hes at least clued in to the voter frustration across the country.
Unfortunately most of the ‘idiots’ in the GOP are probably wasting most of their time strategizing how to co-opt the anger or turn it to their favor. And they will be cast aside.
RINOs incumbants are an endangered species come Nov. ’10!
The GOP will have a good ole’ fashioned spring cleaning.
M/M excellent work…now get some sleep if you can!
Note to “conservatives”: At least be willing to allow the RNC to believe that unless they begin to represent your ideas that you’ll vote for someone else. I got it: “conservatives” are scared of Democrats getting elected and have been convinced that voting 3rd Party is throwing your vote away, but your only hope of getting Republicans to do your bidding is to threaten them with the potentiality of taking your vote elsewhere. As an example: Seriously, South Carolina, you’ve got a good one in Jim DeMint, but good gosh, Lindsey Graham? Why do you keep re-electing that guy? Maine: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins? Really? You couldn’t do any better than that?
Based upon what? You really think John McCain, as well as the few folks I listed already, are going to get the axe? Who will take their places? Who in the Republican leadership will back such a thing?
I would add this warning:
Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
Proverbs 24:17-18
…remember that we battle not against flesh and blood… We must deal firmly with the misguided but have compassion for them, too. As for how we treat the “snakes”? Well, Jesus demonstrated that pretty well for us. Kicking-ass comes to mind.
I have no expectations that Brown will be the Republican of my dreams. He was just elected from the bluest of the blue states and you don’t accomplish that if you’re a hard core fiscal conservative and a constitutionalist.
I’m just so damned happy to see a (R) occupying the seat formerly held by Teddy Kennedy, I can hardly stand it.
I donated to Scott Brown’s excellent campaign, not to the RNC, or the RSCC or whatever. The GOP machine still irritates me.
Everything I am reading now is telling me that the efforts of the Tea Party movement worked. Support for ObamaCare is cracking and collapsing. Scott Brown understood that people do not like the arrogance of the Democrats and their Socialist president, and he brilliantly tapped into that. The Tea Party deserves credit, not the RNC. As far as I’m concerned, the RNC needs to get a few more clues.
Speculating from here, it looks like this was a safe vote for gridlock.
As much as everyone involved would/will take credit, it seems to me that the independents in Mass voted for a stalemated and virtualy stopped federal government. At a minimum I expect more of the same in November.
People are not embracing Republicans, who are showing little in the way of an agenda, as much as they are demanding that the year long movement towards communism be stopped!
Sorry for the double hit here but,
Is Arlen Spector the BIGGEST LOSER of the night?
BWAAAAHAAAAHAHAAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!
If the GOP wants to remain viable,the leadership had better realize that the Republican Party did not win tonight,the people did.
Tonght’s election demonstrates that both parties are damaged badly.I’m sure more than a few Dems voted for Brown,driven by the same motives as the Indies and Reps.The possibility of a new party to replace one of the two existing ones is becoming more likely day by day.
Lets be clear: This is about a defeat of Progressivism, not about Republicans or Democrats.
A Progressive Republican is scant better than a Progressive Democrat. We have to be wary of BOTH.
I still think we need to start by getting rid of Arsenioooooooooooo Steele and start over at the RNC, even if Sarah is cutting him slack. It is a smart strategic move on her part to keep above the fray on a potentially explosive racial issue, but the rest of us can keep a fire to his Hollywood a$$.
She has a long way to go to be ready for prime time, even though I think she is our greatest chance at sending President Punk back to Chicago, where he belongs.
Republicans should carefully note every word Michelle wrote here. She is exactly right. This is NOT a win for them.
It’s the People’s seat. And it’s the People’s Whitehouse. Can you hear us NOW?
The Brass Hats? Certainly not but there are those of us-long time precinct and local Party workers- doing overtime to dump McCain. The Sonoran Alliance is but one group of BitterClingers/Vast Right Wing Conspirators opposing McCain. Should he win the Republican primary anyway I predict a huge sitting on votes. Open season of RINOs anyone?
Perhaps the National Council of LaRaza will back him.
Kentucky too.
That can also be said of Mitt Romney, yet there are still those in the Republican Party that continue to push him as a viable candidate for President in 2012.
This is only the begining. Time to take back America from the deadly grip of liberal progressives. We’ve still got 2 more election cycles before a reasonable cleansing can happen, so don’t party yet.
By following Obama those who have done so have basically destroyed themselves. The party is a mess and conservatives are coming back. I continue to hope in “Hope and Change”. Its a great motto.
Well, well, well…..looks like blue areas are either moonbat strongholds or large pockets of illegal immigrants or welfare recipients……no suprises here
All of our work is not yet done, only begun. Brown’s win is a major battle won, yet the war continues. Brown himself must be held to the fire, as well, so that he doesn’t get the wrong idea.
I agree with those who emphasize that this election was not about Brown (although he was a good candidate). It was about the defeat of the deadly trio: the “machine” in MA, the WH power trip, and the entire progressive movement.
the chicago way DOES NOT WORK across the country. unfortunately this president has surrounded himself with communist thugs of the worst stripe, so unless he cleans house on his cabinet and czars, he will get nothing but choir singing surrounding him. great for conservatives, can’t wait for november.
As I’ve said for many years, the Republican Party needs to clean its own house before it demands that the Democrats clean theirs.
Absolutely.
You can’t complain about stimulus funds and then go around handing out checks from that pot of money. You can’t complain about spending and then slip in your own earmarks.
Moreover, Sen Elect Brown did not mention the word Republican, nor did he campaign on social issues. Run on what makes a difference to the most people, that impacts the most people, and leave the emotional hyperbolic stuff alone.
Senator elect Brown’s state voting records are a bit difficult to decipher. While trying to locate the social and fiscal bills he voted Y or N, many of these bill title names can be deceiving. Unfortunately no Conservative in Mass had detailed background info on these bills and reasonings for his voting record. I donated to his campaign for two reasons. He clearly stated he would work to defeat Obama’s Death Care Bill. And the shock and awe momentem from Democrat to Republican in liberal Mass would send a green light for national Tea Party and Conservative voters to cross-promote non-machine Conservative candidates. Maybe some no name Conservatives will push their way past the GOP RINO Machine to take back the Republican party. I’m waiting to see if any Conservatives are prepared to overthrow RINO’s McCain, Graham, Snow, Collins, Voinovich. They will get my money just like Doug Hoffman, Scott Brown, Marco Rubio. No GOP domantions.
Watching Scott Brown’s victory speech was interesting, but it really dragged on a bit. I guess I can understand that. But he was heavy on praise for Ted Kennedy and extremely conciliatory toward Barrack Hussein Obama who tried to put him in the dumpster. Not much conservative fire there. Except for one point: health care. He may be a one-hit wonder. He says he’s against the Obama agenda. Time will tell. But I agree you can’t be overly enthusiastic until you see what he really does in the Senate. Let’s get him there quickly so he can prove himself.
The proof is always in the way these pols conduct themselves. We need balance in the house and senate to get the best ideas brought to the forefront.I am not concerned with what party someone belongs to but how they adhere to the priciples this country was founded on. We are all Americans first and should stand with anyone who proves themselves to be of the same mindset. My 2 cents anyway.
If we are going to prevail it will be DESPITE the GOP and not because of the GOP.
They are the people who show up at the football field midway through the fourth quarter and take full credit for the team being ahead.
OT but related, has Colin Powell gone to Mars? We need him to pontificate on these events, since HE ENDORSED OBAMA.
We need to squash any perception of “coming back to the center” and enforce the requirement of “coming back to the Constituion”. Whether democrat OR republican, any pol who steps on the Constitution is not standing to the ‘left’ or to the ‘right’ – they are standing ON the Constitution and therefore deserve only to be expunged from government.
There really shouldn’t be any need for a “Constitution Party” because ALL politicians must be held to the principles of our founders.
I need to jump in front of a bus to bring some emotional balance back into my life today. The Tea Party managed the impossible: a swift kick to the Democratic Party AND the Assistant Democratic Party.
If I were the RNC today, I would be very humble and thinking about spending more time with my family.
To rid ourselves of the likes of McCain and Graham, we need to put up better candidates in the primaries. Look at FL and the race between Crist and Rubio.
Send no money to the RNC.
Support individual candidates.
I repeat my proposal for changing the primary balloting format in order to throw out the liberal ‘ringers’ like McCain who was nominated by a cancerous MINORITY within the RNC.
A single predominantly more liberal candidate will always win against the split vote among a large field of conservatives. My idea FIXES that much like a run-off process but with having to having a whole additional polling iteration.
Put TWO boxes next to each candidate’s name on the primary ballot. One box is a vote FOR that candidate and the other is a vote AGAINST that candidate.
The voter can check ANY two boxes on the ballot. For example you can vote ‘against’ two candidates whom you especially do not want or you can vote ‘for’ two candidates whom you most want.
Especially – you can vote for the candidate you most like and against the one you most dislike. In the last primary I think McCain would have received the most ‘against’ votes in such a system thus nominating the person who best represented the aggregate of all voters such as Duncan Hunter for example.
If you boil down the republican party reducing it to some recognizable ‘essence’, is there anyone out there who honestly believes that it would look anything like John McCain?
Of course not!
Lee Rodgers on KSFO radio in San Francisco has always said, “Don’t fall in love with a politician, you’ll get jilted every time.”
Practically every political race is not a choice between the lesser of two evils, but between the evil of two lessers.
It is the disaffected independent majority that ruled in the Brown election. More and more people have left the political parties because the politicians of both parties have progressively moved to the left to secure votes. The Democrats are now the anti-American party and the Republicans are now the self-serving party. The principles of the Republican party are most in tune with the independents – but principles are worthless if the politicians only use them to get elected and then ignore them when it is time to govern.
FIFY.
So many of the GOP politicians come across like the squishy, stand-for-nothing, feckless college administrators of the 60s and 70s that, above all, wanted to make sure that they still got invited to the wine-and-cheese get-togethers.
A couple of notes:
1. It is the Independent spirit of the tea party (not teabagger) movement that is sweeping this country that the Republicans still don’t understand.
2. Whenever I say California can be in play, the sound of crickets chirping is deafening. Do I think the Republican party can capitalize and win there?
Not really.
Tell it to the Democrats – they’re the party holding onto the majority of the trillion plus dollar stimulus in order to dole it out in checks to local districts during an election year!
The sea change reflected by the Brown vote is significant. No politician of either party can take their seat for granted, and that includes the likes of Pelosi and Reid. The independents now have a voice through the tea party movement, and that voice will not be silenced.
So when a liberal says ‘F*CK YOU’ to a conservative, they are “unhinged,” and when one of our own says it to the Republican party, it’s a “Heh.”
Let’s leave the double standards to the liberals, shall we?
MM is dead on target here. This not, repeat NOT a GOP victory. It wasn’t Republicans in MA that made this happen, but Independents and moderate Dems. If Steele et al claim this as a GOP victory they are idiotically missing the point. It should be as much a wake up call to GOP as it is to the Dimocrats, and certainly not an affirmation of the misguided Republican agenda.
Spin it anyway you like, but he is going to the senate as a Republican.
Not a tea party candidate, or an independent. Attempting to spin this as anything other than a GOP victory puts you all into the same camp as the democrats who are attempting to spin this as something other than a democrat loss.
Now is not the time to argue about political parties. Politicians are only worried about keeping their job and not in the best interest of the country. Tea Party folks and other freedom loving people must remember to never again make the mistake of NOT vetting a presidential candidate and believing a politician. We must be ever vigilant at the ballot box and anytime an elected official or administration runs rough shod over the people—KICK THE BUMS OUT!
Hardly spin, more reality. The majority that voted for Brown were Independent or Dem registerd. Spin that if you like.
And the still clueless Dems do see this as a Republican victory. From SF Gate.
“Even before a stunning Republican victory in Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts rocked Democrats coast to coast a day before the anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration a year ago, political handicappers were forecasting potential House losses at just under 30 seats.”
Look at all the red on that map, man. Do you think all those MA voters are Republicans? Get a clue.
Just keep Tom Coburn (R-OK) and let him pick the other 99 Senators.
We fired our guns and the libtards kept a comin’
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We’ll fire once more(Nov 2010)and they’ll begin to runnin’
On down the Potomac to retirement they will go!
#21 – spot on.
Everyone has to keep in mind that we just hired a MASSACHUSETTS Republican. Will he be #41? Sure. Will he oppose cap and tax? You have to think he will.
Does this mean he’s not a RINO? Of course not. The first person he thanks is Mitt “Romney-Care” Romney, followed by John “Amnesty” McCain.
We’re all happy that the more batsh*t-crazy ideas from Barry, Harry, and Scary will be stopped via filibuster, but let’s not get carried away.
The message is CONSERVATISM, and it sells.
We’re in huge debt, but we’re taxed enough. We can live without tax cuts, but we MUST have a tax freeze until we see a surplus again. THEN we can talk tax cuts – starting with small businesses.
And to get our surplus we MUST cut spending. Education belongs at the state level, where people close to the problems can fix them. It’s time to move it back there.
Ditto roads, airports, etc. Outside of the Interstate system, Air Traffic Control, and security-related issues, it’s time for local governments to fund their own road and infrastructure repair.
By moving taxes closer to where they benefit the citizens, we improve democracy and reduce corruption.
We agree that every American should have access to health care, and here’s how we’ll do it:
If you are on unemployment or are eligible for Medicaid, you get CATASTROPHIC coverage. Not checkups, or wellness, or other such things. But if you have the flu we’ll give you Tamiflu. If you break a bone, we’ll set it. If you need a bypass you’ll get it. If you get cancer, we’ll treat it. No experimental drugs, limited therapy regimens, etc., but you’ll receive solid care.
Children? That’s different. Children get wellness care, vision care, and dental care on top of the basic coverage.
By cutting the current Medicaid “cadillac” features, this is budget neutral, and allows us to continue lowering our spending elsewhere.
We’re re-allocating our defense budget to reflect modern realities. We don’t need B-2′s; we need more drones.
We want the world’s best, and brightest, and hardest working – regardless of how rich or poor they are today. That’s why we are increasing the number of H1B visa’s. But in this day and age of fragile economics and terrorist threats, we are also committed to controlling our borders.
Etc.
Fiscal conservatism, fair play, freedom, and a steady hand at the tiller is our way back to greatness.
Status Quo is our path to destruction.
You mean to tell me that democrats crossed party lines to vote for the republican?
Yeah, that’s horrible for us.
Get a clue.
First, I live in MA and I’ll put up my conservative creds against anyone on this site, including it’s lovely hostess.
I voted for Scott Brown. I know he is not nearly as socially conservative as I am. He may also be less fiscally conservative, but not to any degree I find immediately troubling.
This is not a GOP victory. It is, however, a conservative victory. Massachusetts may have a massive Democrat party affiliation advantage, but most its people are still, by and large, right of center. We have conservative Democrats that would make some Southern Republicans blush.
Scott Brown’s message was a very simple, conservative, arguably even federalist message. Oppose ridiculous spending, oppose abuses of process, and leave each state to run their affairs how they like. Provided he lives up to his promises, he will be a more powerful conservative voice than many in the Senate, including long-timers with more “official” conservatism like say John Kyl.
So he has a lot of potential, as well as many chances to come up short. But he deserves a chance to live up to those promises and not be called a RINO based on Massachusetts electing him.
The way the Democrats do.
The way Candidate Obama never mentioned Leftist or Totalitarian or Socialist or Statist.
In light of this, why was no serious challenge ever mounted to Teddy?
What are you smoking?
Insourcing and outsourcing is what has caused so many of our fellow American to become unemployed.
Your statement on H1B Visas sounds just like something John McCain would say or any other RINO in good standing that worships at the alter of Globalism or the One World Order crowd.
As far as I am concerned, we need to put a moratorium on H1B Visas until every American that wants a job has one, until then, no more Visas for foreign workers to take an American’s job away.
Because the Mass GOP takes voters for lost just like the Mass Democratic Machine takes voters for granted.
Scott Brown is literally the first Republican in my political lifetime who has ever had a serious TV ad buy in this state. The last one was probably Romney.
It is of course prudent to be cautious about any politician.
However the significance of this election is that it is possible to win despite ACORN and the presence of AL Franken’s corrupt lawyer. An ACORN free win!
Has Colin Powell weighed in on this?