re: #243 Bagua

As I mentioned to the Windupbird there are no doubt a number of secondary drivers to consider. But in their totality they do not explain this reversal of fortunes.

Focus on one of the secondary factors is therefore wishful thinking at best, and spin at worst. This is Massachusetts. This is big.

The Democrats should at minimum give up all hope of regaining their 60 vote monopoly in November and focus on achieving some things that will have bipartisan support so the Obama Presidency has at least some accomplishments.

But if they go into denial with the “bad campaign” meme and keep pushing the partisan extremes, nothing will be accomplished.

We disagree on this, and will no doubt continue to do so.
Coakley ran a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad campaign. And was not a good candidate to begin with. I take her loss to be deserved, and I don’t see it as a referendum on “Obama” or HCR, although that’s essentially the way it’s already being spun by the Villagers. Moreover, it’s not as if the Dems ever had a super-majority in anything but name only— witness their failure to have already gotten HCR done. Too many Blue Dogs, too many in their own party against the agenda.

Which is another reason why I’m fairly sanguine about the result. The lesson the Dems ought to learn, but probably will not, is that they never should have taken that seat, or any seat, for granted— especially so long as the economy remains in the crapper.