Welcome to the Democratic Party, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I cannot believe it was a tidal wave of Republican anger/energy. After all, Coakley was up thirty points not that long ago. Then she took that ill timed vacation. Hey, when you are Barack Obama you can do that. Coakley is no Barack Obama.
Coakley is being thrown under the bus as we speak. Is it totally deserved? Maybe not, but Democrats are doing it anyway to avoid the acknowledging that this may truly be a sign of things to come. This along with the losses in New Jersey, Virginia and the loss of the Olympic bid for Chicago. Can you believe that we may have reached a point, one year removed from Inauguration Day, that Democrats may say, "No, thanks" to a Presidential visit during their campaign? Particularly from a President once so popular and magnetic?
There may be another factor at work here: the Obama voter. 2008 was a special election, maybe once in a lifetime. A perfect storm where Republicans were apathetic while independents and Democrats were electrified. Fast forward to 2010. Republicans are energized and smell blood in the water. Independents are apathetic at best and may be pissed at Obama. Democrats are disappointed over what has been done (bank bailout, auto bailout, Afghanistan) and what has not (real health care reform, public option, strong leadership from the White House, etc...).
Those voters who came together in 2008, particularly in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts, may be saying, "Before we vote for who you want us to vote for, how about doing what we want: help the economy, not Wall Street. Rethink Afghanistan. Fight for the public option, dammit. We put you in office, and you are going to need us to stay there."
No comments:
Post a Comment