Scott Brown - Part 3

Scott Brown

Ok, Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts.  Good for him. The really baffling thing is why people who voted overwhelmingly for Obama one year ago suddenly shifted their votes. No doubt that one factor was simply that the Republicans turned out more than the Democrats. The confusion is why independents and some Democrats shifted their votes.

The simple fact is that Scott Brown has definite conservative leanings. Some have described him as to the right of Dick Cheney. So people voted for him despite the fact that exit polls showed that the majority of voters approve of the job that Obama has been doing. Exit polls also showed that the number one issue determining their vote was health care reform and Mr. Brown was clear that he intended to be the 41st vote against the health care reform bill.  The pundits also attribute Coakley's arrogance and taking the voters for granted as contributing factors. He went to the baseball stadium and she did not. He went out and shook hands while she went on vacation. He drove around in a pickup truck and she drove around in a limo.

Jocelyn Fong  of Media Matters for America describes the active participation of Fox News in assisting Mr. Brown's campaign. They actively supported his campaign, misrepresented Ms. Coakley's remarks to make her seem stupid, raised false issues designed to create fear in the electorate, and told viewers that Brown's election would improve their 401Ks despite the fact that the market actually dropped after his election.

So, all of this persuaded people to elect a guy that represents a return to the policies and thinking that got us into the mess we are currently in… as some kind of protest vote? Go figure? The people who should be admired are the people who really believe in Scott Brown and the people who really oppose him based on his prior history. If they voted based on what they really believe they are functioning in the best traditions of our democracy. The people who voted because of some emotional frustration are the great mystery and time will only tell how Mr. Brown actually behaves in office.

The simple fact is that if we are to enjoy a better world, then we must take personal responsibility to make it better. Be conscious in your actions. Decide on the people who will impact your lives on the basis of something other than baseball stadiums and pickup trucks. For now, give Steve Brown your blessings in the hope that he will really turn out to be the independent Republican he claims.