What Happened to My State?

I woke up this morning hoping beyond hope that the news last night was just a bad dream. But no, it's true, somehow the state of Massachusetts has elected Republican Scott Brown to the Senate. I can't begin to describe how disheartened and angry I am about this. Brown is nowhere near as smart or experienced or hard-working as Martha Coakley—and I also don't like his stance on most issues.

I don't have a problem with conservatives voting for Brown over Coakley. That to me makes sense. But there aren't that many conservatives here. Everyone else who announced their foolhardy intention to "send a message" by voting for Brown have indeed sent a message. But here's what it says: "Instead of getting anything passed in Washington, I would like to create even more gridlock and more filibustering opportunities." Listen, we all know that the health care reform bill is not perfect—no one thinks it's perfect—but a compromise is better than nothing. We won't even get a compromise with the likes of Brown. He'd like to scrap the whole thing and start all over again, which will mean that no one gets anything. 

I blame Martha Coakley at least in part for being complacent and not running much of a campaign at all. Maybe she didn't want to play that game, or maybe she thought she didn't need to, but that's how it's done, and it's too late now.

I hope there's no afterlife, because I hate to think that Teddy can see what happened to his seat, the seat from which he worked so tirelessly for 50 years to help make sure that everyone gets the same rights.

Every November I read the election news and feel bad and embarrassed for the people of certain states. This time I feel bad and embarrassed for myself.

Scott Brown, you do not represent me.

Comments

[scott]

The people who voted for him aren't worried that the health care bill isn't perfect. They don't want one at all.

[Margie]

agreed. BTW, I've actually followed this guy - one of the few outside of his district, I know - and I can only say that those voters just sent a Mitt Romney clone to Washington. Very sad. He ran as independant, but at the very least his social politics are truly right-wing. Many of us remember in 2002 when flyers were passed out at Boston Pride that said, "The Romney/Healey Campaign wishes you a Happy Pride" Oh, Mitt turned out to be a real friend ... that's just one issue. Surely you don't need schooling on who Mitt turned out to be.

[Elena]

I still can't get past the nude photos! Seriously, what are people thinking? And the ones even in my state who are cheering "Thank you, Massachusetts!", as if to say "Yay! 50 million people still won't have health care coverage!" Has the entire country lost their minds? But I think Jon Stewart has it right. Since when does 1 person have this much power? George Bush did whatever the *$%& he wanted without the huge majority the Democrats STILL have in Congress! Obama needs to step up and start taking control of the PR war here so people understand, for example, that if they're so concerned about losing their jobs they should be terrified of not having health care!

[Stephanie]

It was a sad day in our house. . . .

So many people did not vote on the "issues." In fact many people admitted that they did not vote on issues, but just against the "machine." Now so many things are at stake. . . .

In addition, Mark woke up crying. . . . and so disappointed. So, I suggested that he write a letter to Mr. Brown this weekend, about how he thinks Mr. Brown should vote on certain things.

And then the photos. . . . if a woman had done this to pay for law school, well that woman would have no professional career. I am so tired of the double standard.

I will get off my soap box now.

[Sharon]

I don't live in Massachusetts, but this was very disappointing news. I too think of Ted Kennedy and all of his hard work.

[Rachel]

Don't get me started. Couldn't agree more. We elected a naked guy with a pick-up truck. Way to go Massachusetts. Ted Kennedy did not deserve that.

[Wendy]

I just finished T.R. Reid's book, The Healing of America, and was looking forward to the US joining the ranks of countries who believe that civilized societies provide healthcare to their people, and that all of us, rich and poor, are entitled to that. Now, well, I am so disheartened. I don't know if I can stand to live here anymore.

[Gena]

I'm so disheartened as well. I agree with Rachel. Massachusetts elected a pretty boy with a pickup truck. I feel like I never left Texas. Apparently, the symbolic power of pickup trucks extends farther northeast than I'd thought.

Meanwhile, the conservative Supreme Court voted to abolish constraints on corporate election spending. I'm disgusted at how Republicans successfully wield everyman symbols (such as pickup trucks) while catering to corporations.

[Not Brain Dead]

I, too, had a hard time sleeping on tuesday evening, but for a different reason. I was too excited to sleep. Don't you understand that we need, for once, SOME BALANCE, when it comes to representing massachusetts? brown is not against health care for the uninsured. he's against the current bill for care, WHICH POLLS SHOW MOST AMERICANS ARE. stop distorting the truth, and stop idolizing ted kennedy. he was arguably an effective senator, but also a raging alcoholic whose MANY personal failures (to put it mildly) were constantly overlooked and ignored by liberals like you.

[Karen]

Lisa (I'm not brain dead either): I am willing to accept that conservatives and liberals have different opinions, which is something I've always found that conservatives can't seem to do. As I said, I don't have any problem with the fact that conservatives voted for Brown. I don't understand why some so-called liberals did. He is NOT liberal, nor does he pretend to be. How can someone support liberal values and vote for a candidate like that? I preferred Coakley, whose ideology is more similar to my own -- I also think she's a million times smarter than Brown. That's why I'm disappointed.

Meanwhile, what's the point of saying that Kennedy was an effective senator "but" also a "raging alcoholic" (the latter of which I disagree with, but that's neither here nor there)? I elected him to be an effective senator, and that's what he was. He helped more people in this state than anyone ever has or will again. It's not the case that I overlooked or ignored his personal failings; I just had no reason to concern myself with them.

i don't know what polls you're looking at, because the ones I see show massive support for the current health care reform bill.

Thanks for stopping by.

[Elena]

Ugh, at this point I'm embarrassed to be an American. People are falling for the lies being spread by the demagogues and are not stopping to think for themselves. Now with today's Supreme Court ruling, I am more discouraged than ever!

[Winnie]

I've spent the last couple days trying to come to terms with the outcome of this election. That said, it's been a futile effort. Like so many others, I am devastated and angry that we have elected a Republican, but what is most horrifying is that Scott Brown is a right-wing ultra-CONSERVATIVE. It saddens me that I am ashamed to live in Massachusetts; to be part of a population which has essentially voted to PREVENT others in our nation from ever receiving access to affordable health care - the same access which we are so fortunate to have in Massachusetts. It sickens me, actually. I wonder where I live, and where our compassion and our progressive ideals went. How is it that an egocentric, sexist, hard-nosed conservative altered what I thought were our engrained social ideals? Why did people abandon those ideals simply because Martha Coakley was a more passive campaigner? I honestly don't know who my neighbors are anymore. I am not proud to tell people I am from this great Commonwealth, where it seems sports teams, pick-up trucks and a re-emergence of sexist values seems to better reflect the demographic of our state.

[peter flemming]

In a legal and significant sense Scott Brown does represent you. That's to say, he has been elected senator (from your state), a position that is vested with a great deal of power and influence. A more accurate posture may be to say that he doesn't affect you, given a socio-economic status that insulates you from the pain that politicians, from both parties, inflict on the more vulnerable.

[Karen]

Peter, I know that's what "represents" means, and that Brown is now legally my political representative in the Senate; I was obviously getting at the point that his views do not represent (that is, reflect) my own.

It is not accurate to suggest that Brown's actions will not affect me. For instance, his votes on women's health and reproductive care could have profound effects on me and my daughters. That's just one example.

Thanks for stopping by.

[peter flemming]

Karen,

Thank you for your response. In your original post you say, "we all know that the health care reform bill is not perfect—no one thinks it's perfect—but a compromise is better than nothing." Which provisions of a compromise bill, either house or senate version, do you think will improve health care in this country?

Peter

[Bruce Brown]

With regard to your reply to 'notbraindead', that i don't know what polls you're looking at, because the ones I see show massive support for the current health care reform bill.", I refer you to the latest from Gallup that 39% of Americans favor suspending work on the current bill, and 55% are frankly opposed, available at http://www.gallup.com/poll/125327/majority-favors-suspending-work-healthcare-bill.aspx

or Rasmussen at: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

There is a very interesting graph at Pollster.com http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/healthplan.php

that tracks opinion polls regarding health care proposal as simple 'favor/oppose' showing that the percentage of Americans opposed crossed the favorable line in June and has been slowly increasing since then.

These are the first three items in Google search Polls regarding the current Health Care bill'

I am interested in seeing which polls you have been looking at

[Karen]

Bruce, you're right, that wasn't so accurate. I meant that there is massive support for health care reform -- not necessarily any particular bill being debated now. However, most polls are meaningless because there's no way to know what people think is meant by "health care reform" -- each person could be favoring or opposing a different thing. In any event, I have seen polls showing at least plurality support. No time to look up links now, though, sorry! I do believe that it's a national disgrace that so many American citizens have no health insurance coverage, and that needs to be fixed.

Thanks for stopping by.

[Karen]

Peter (and did you know your email address doesn't work?), I can no longer keep track of what provisions are on what bills, but I favor making health insurance affordable for all Americans, taking away the insurance companies' legal rights to deny coverage ex post facto, and allowing regular citizens who do not get insurance from their employees (like me) to buy in to a government plan such as the one that members of Congress have. That's just a start.

[Karen]

P.S. Here's a link: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/25/mass-health-care/
We here in Mass. want health care.