The aftermath of a Brown win

[Cartoonist]

Outcome 1) She wins big - This post becomes completely irrelevant and I tip my hat to Mass. voters for their wisdom.

Outcome 2) She barely wins - This will still be played as a victory by the right. They'll talk history, Kennedy decline, and teabagger rising. They will try and build on this for the midterms.

Outcome 3) Brown wins - There are now two directions for the Democrats to go.

Direction R) - The dems will wet their pants and see this as the death of progressivism. Instead of their current state of republican light, they will lurch so far right that Nader's claim that there is no difference between the two parties will become a reality.

Direction L) - The dems will finally grow a spine and realize that they must offer a true alternative to conservative hate and malfeasance. I don't see this happening.

Side note: where is Sarah in all this? My guess is that Brown is at least intelligent enough to tell her to keep her winking face out of the state.

[DJ13]

1. R

Its easier to make excuses that enable them to continue down the same path than to do some soul searching that would lead to a loss of corporate campaign money.

[Abq_Sarah]

2. When you run a crappy candidate

Don't be surprised if you lose.

[nevergiveup]

3. a lurch to the right is automatic if Brown wins and

Health care reform is probably dead in my lifetime (I am 65).....the tea baggers and Rush crowd win and the Obama presidency goes down in flames especially since he is headed for Massachusetts tomorrow and staking his reputation. Having said this I think she will pull this one out by 3 to 5 points.

[depakid]

5. That would be the panultimate of stupidity- though considering the track record, it might happen

The dem leadership in power at the moment has made the same mistake several times before....

[Confusious]

8. It might happen?

Considering the past 30 years, it WILL happen.

When have they lurched left? I don't remember any in the last 30 years.

[PFunk]

6. IF the dems do lurch to the right after a brown win then it's the end of the democratic party.

At least as we know it. And will probably see the now PO'd dem progressive base to either move to start a third party, take over an existing one, or eventually just drop out of politics totally. It will also force the dems closer to corporates for funding since It'll be very hard (if not impossible) to get grass roots funding.

In short you may eventually see the dems permanently become a minority party.

In short a brown win is NOT a good thing long or short run.

[OHdem10]

4. They cannot lurch to right much farther and still try to call themselves

Democrats.

[JamesA1102]

7. There is a difference between the parties

because the GOP has become the bat-shit crazy party.

[andym]

9. For outcome 3--> Direction R would happen

Why?
If a liberal candidate (well moderately liberal) loses to a conservative in 3rd most liberal state in the country, then more moderate Democrats in more moderate states will conclude liberalism is toxic and move to the right.