The Coakley Warning

As I write this, voters in a Massachusetts special election are deciding whether the state’s Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley, or Republican (You fill in your favorite adjective here.) state Senator Scott Brown. With true Democratic Party grace Coakley, had the election in the bag (a 30 point lead at the start), tripped on her over confidence and let the damned thing get away from her.  Now most polls give Brown the edge and even most favorable polls put the race at dead even. If Coakley wins it will only be because the Democratic Party in Massachusetts does a superior job in turning out the vote.

Despite Republican Party efforts to frame this as a referendum on the Obama administration, this remains a single state race in which the Democratic candidate’s campaign errors are more than sufficient to explain her loss. [Disappointment with Obama, however, may play a role in the outcome, see my next post “Magical Thinking About Barack the Magic _________________ (Fill in the blank as you see fit.)”]

For all of that, Coakley’s problems in this election should serve as a strong warning to all Democratic Politicians facing elections this year.

Click to read more ...

The Maddow Mistake

Rachel Maddow whose show airs Monday through Friday on MSNBC is without a doubt one of the sharpest liberal/progressive commentators on the scene today, a fearless interviewer and a better reporter than Keith Olbermann. She also might as well be working for the Republican Party.

Click to read more ...

The Number One Mission for Liberals and Progressives in 2010: Get Out the Democrat Vote

If you think 2009 sucked politically, imagine starting 2011 without a Democratic Party majority in the house or a minimum filibuster breaking 60 Democratic Senators. Worse, imagine the house and senate seasoned with newly elected teabag patri-nuts.

If you enjoyed watching regular Republicans blocking and delaying legislation then you’ll love teabaggers with no understanding of the legislative process, no respect for others in congress, and no reason to compromise on anything. I suspect congress and the government—not merely the progressive agenda—would grind to a halt. Budget measures, such as defense appropriations, which no party is willing to completely block for long, would be in jeopardy.

Liberals and progressives have ample reason to be disappointed with President Obama.

Click to read more ...