Andrew Sullivan: A Looming Landslide for Brown

[Frank Booth]

I can see no alternative scenario but a huge - staggeringly huge - victory for the FNC/RNC machine tomorrow. They crafted a strategy of total oppositionism to anything Obama proposed a year ago. Remember they gave him zero votes on even the stimulus in his first weeks. They saw health insurance reform as Obama's Waterloo, and, thanks in part to the dithering Democrats, they beat him on that hill. They have successfully channeled all the rage at the massive debt and recession the president inherited on Obama after just one year. If they can do that already, against the massive evidence against them, they have the power to wield populism to destroy any attempt by government to address any actual problems. . . .

What comes next will be a real test for Obama. I suspect serious health insurance reform is over for yet another generation.

Even if Coakley wins - and my guess is she'll lose by a double digit margin - the bill is dead. The most Obama can hope for is a minimalist alternative that simply mandates that insurance companies accept people with pre-existing conditions and are barred from ejecting patients when they feel like it. That's all he can get now - and even that will be a stretch. The uninsured will even probably vote Republican next time in protest at Obama's failure! That's how blind the rage is.

Ditto any attempt to grapple with climate change. In fact, any legislative moves with this Democratic party and this Republican party are close to hopeless. The Democrats are a clapped out, gut-free lobbyist machine. The Republicans are insane. The system is therefore paralyzed beyond repair. . .

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/01/a-looming-landslide-for-brown.html

I thought that was a nice insightful piece on the deranged state of this country, and how quickly we're cratering toward complete failure. The whole thing's worth reading.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. So if Brown does lose his staggering vicotry, will they blame ACORN?

If Coakley wins, will she owe a staggering debt to Obama for getting out the vote?

Just wondering.

[Frank Booth]

2. Those are nice questions to consider.

Being a lifelong Democrat, I'm still basically incapable of positive thought when it comes to politics. A surprise victory tomorrow would be a huge relief though -- even if, in the grand scheme of things, it might result in only incremental improvements.

[laughingliberal]

4. First, let's hope he's wrong about a win for Brown tomorrow

Second he is wrong about the status of health care reform is he does win. What will happen with health care reform, I am almost certain, is the House will be forced to swallow hard and pass the Senate bill unchanged. If the House capitulates to the Senate and passes the bill as is it will not need to go back to the Senate for a cloture vote. It will go to the President to be signed into law. It will leave us with a horrible bill that the House was attempting to make less horrible. But those who feel any bill is better than no bill can rest assured there will be a bill and it will be signed.

I don't know who will take blame or credit for the outcome tomorrow. My suspicion is that, whatever we see, there will be another shift to the right. A win for Brown will be taken as a sign that the people are unhappy with progressive ideas although the people have seen no real progressive ideas as yet. A win for Coakley will be taken as a sign that the people are pleased with the right of center policies they have been getting.

The most tragic outcome of a Brown win will be for the SCOTUS should there be the need to make any appointments. There will be no way to get even the barest left leaning justice confirmed.

[quiller4]

She'll owe and even bigger debt to the Massachusetts State labor Council

[Ken Burch]

10. If there were any real liklihood of that(and I still hope for a miracle) you'd have a point

n/t.

[sandnsea]

3. Deranged is it

And it's not just one party that is ecstatic about it.

Dithering however, is Sullivan buying into right wing blather. Governance isn't supposed to be shoot from the hip. It's supposed to require debate and negotiation and alterations.

If I were Obama I'd tell Congress to take care of DOMA and DADT and then go on vacation and let Americans deal with the reality that we aren't too big to fail.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Maybe it's best Pres. Obama get healthcare through, revoke DOMA and DADT and say fuck it.

And do what Clinton did and just spend the next six or seven years in cruise control.

[sandnsea]

9. Based on Sullivan's column

and belief that health care is DOA, I'd go for DADT and DOMA out of the pure rightness of it and let these people fall on their asses. I am just so tired of the stupidity. Are people really this stupid and I just expect too much?

[Drunken Irishman]

11. I guess they are this stupid.

Americans obviously have very short memories. I mean, a year ago today we were just ending eight years of Bush. How can people think the Republicans have learned or grown since being out of office just a year?

This is the country that decided we'd sell the good time 90s for an ultra-religious nutball who promised tax cuts and a whole lot of nothing.

Then we re-elected him!

And we're on course to give power back to that same party.

Either Americans don't get it or they don't care. Maybe it's both?

If I'm Pres. Obama, I tell Americans to fend for themselves. If they don't want healthcare reform - fine! Don't bitch, though, when the system completely bankrupts this country and we're left with nothing. :eyes:

But I think Sullivan is wrong. I think we'll get healthcare regardless.

[wisteria]

5. Likely , I don't like Sullivan very much. Coakley will win-Sullivan knows nothing more than anyone

else about this race.

[meegbear]

8. Hear! Hear!

[Bucky]

6. In short order Massachusetts voters will be swimming in buyer's remorse

It'll be too late, of course. They'll have to wait until 2012 to unring this bell.

Thanks, Massachusetts. You make being a Texas Democrat so much easier to bear.

[LeftishBrit]

12. Sullivan was a strong supporter of Maggie Thatcher

He has interesting and valid things to say at times, but I wouldn't take him as an oracle of wisdom.

Keeping fingers VERY tightly crossed for the defeat of the Republican in this race!

[snagglepuss]

13. "a profound moment in the now accelerating decline of this country. And one of the major parties is

ecstatic about it." That says it all.



K&R