Sarah Palin kicked the hornets nest and out came Scott Brown.

[riderinthestorm]

Scott Brown has reaped the teabagger anger and found the right political combination of rage and fury to win. Sarah Palin got the fire started and now it's going.

Anyone who believes this movement isn't going anywhere is wrong imho. There's a real anger out there at the entire political system and the voters are voting pretty wild. Dems are angry at being thrown under the bus on all sorts of issues. The financial mess and the job losses have gotten most independents pretty cranky (and everyone else whose actually following along because there's blame on all sides of the aisle). Health insurance reform has jeopardized the Rethug cash machine so they've ramped up their base.

If the Dems and this Admin don't get their shit together, every Rethug whose up for election is going to follow the Sarah Palin/Scott Brown method of batshit-crazy campaign rhetoric that whips up the worst elements of populism into a righteous rage.

Write this off all you like as a failure of the DLC way, or a failure of the Admin on HCR, or the Geithner/Summers/Bernanke Wall St. cash grab turning off voters etc. etc. etc.

Primarily, it's about candidates who manage to feed the populist fire. Look for a whole lot more of this in the months ahead. Also, I'm going to bet that from here on out, the Rethugs purposefully try to field good-looking candidates. Every single analyst this morning had to point out how telegenic Scott Brown is. Reminiscent of the be-spectacled MILF, Sarah Palin.

Obama won in large part because he can whip up a crowd too if you remember. That trait is now a proven winner in this day and age.

[cayanne]

1. Yes

Sarah Palin, along with Dick Armey and others, gave a platform to the racists and haters. They knew they were out there and there was a lot of money to be made from them. They were right. I'll never forgive John McCain for bring her to the forefront.

[riderinthestorm]

4. I agree that there's now a platform for the racists and haters

They're formed around "anger". There is a lot to be angry about and Scott Brown has found a way to tap into it.

Obama tapped into it too but put a positive spin on it - "change", and brought out Dems in droves. So many of us believed and hoped that would come about. Unfortunately now it seems as though the "change" is too centrist (rightwardly) for many of his party faithful, and the anger that Sarah Palin and Dick Armey have stoked on the right is being coalesced into something cohesive.

[Mike Nelson]

2. Part of the story...

Now, if someone would boldly INSIST on public option, extended Medicare, marriage equality, and end wars... the REST of US could rally 'round the flag, too!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. don't forget the MSM