A victory for all
S.C. Dixon, Emporia
Friday, January 29, 2010
Scott Brown’s stunning victory in the Massachusetts senate race on January 19th was nothing short of remarkable. Personally I would have to say it was one of the most interesting and surprising political events of my life, and that covers some intriguing occurrences.
The night of the election my Democrat friends were beside themselves, with much gnashing of teeth and self recrimination, wailing that “they” had lost. How could such a thing have happened, in Massachusetts, of all places, arguably the most liberal state in the union?
My Republican friends were too busy high-fiving each other and generally gloating to notice. After all, how could such a thing have happened, in Massachusetts, of all places?
As a recognized independent I’ve since been engaged in many conversations trying to convince both sides that they are wrong.
The truth is that America won.
For years we have apparently (though erroneously) believed (as did both the people of Massachusetts and the Kennedy family) that this seat was theirs by entitlement. But paraphrasing Brown himself, no one party (or person) should “own” any seat or any position in our government by “birthright.” The concept should be repugnant to people who love freedom.
Republicans certainly didn’t “win,” in the traditional sense because Brown’s victory was not created by Republicans. The election was carried by independent voters, men and women who are a fast emerging force to be dealt with by both parties.
And in a way the Dems won, too. The highflying, grating rhetoric of Pelosi, Frank, Reid and the rest has been ratcheted back a series of notches and, to put it bluntly, they have been put into their places not as dictatorial arbiters, but as servants of the people.
Now perhaps real bipartisan debate can come to important issues face our nation, rather than secretive, unilateral meetings behind closed doors. Perchance now debate can thrive and that is always a good thing in a democratic republic.
And perhaps the president will realize he is actually going to have to work for what he sees as his mission, rather than reciting high-flying platitudes from a teleprompter at some carefully scripted “town-hall” meeting. America and Americans are perhaps a bit more complex than he and his insiders once believed.
It is a good thing that people are finally learning that voting a “straight party line” is restrictive and obtuse. We are learning to vote for people and ideas rather than parties and ideologues.
We all share Scott Brown’s victory.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
Very well said and this article should be e-mailed to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. What this election taught me was that people are fed up with these behind the door fact finding committies but, what we want is out in the open fact facing committies. How in the world are these politicians going to beef up the economy when they don't know beef from pork. The Democrats have some Donkey ideas and the republicians have their trunk of tricks.
January 30, 2010 at 3:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
The way I understand it this guy is kinda the same thing to the Republicans that Lieberman was to the Democrats.....in name only.
That having been said, I agree with Mr Dixon that it might well have been a victory for true independents...something that Lieberman has never been. And any victory for a real independent is a victory for America.
But I am not talking about the vast majority of the so-called third party independents who are just as married to an ideology as any Republican of Democrat has ever thought of being. In fact...most of the third party people are more ideology driven than the major parties and therefore frighten me even more. By independent I mean a candidate that approaches each decision with no predetermined prejudice or malice...and who's only ideology is doing what is best for the American people not his own brand of special interests.
But without that special interest base pushing his candidacy to further feather their nest.....a true independent has the proverbial snowballs chance in hell of ever getting elected. So I guess we are doomed to continue repeating our past mistakes.
January 30, 2010 at 6:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
reddog
Don't get too excited about what this election proves. A single election doesn't prove much of anything except that one candidate defeated the other. Remember all the hoopla a year ago about how the election of Obama signaled a major shift in politics in America....Sure it did...lol (very sarcastically)!
January 30, 2010 at 6:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
Harry, Nancy, Barney...I must admit to an exquisite pleasure in noting how the mighty have fallen...suddenly they are so meek and contrite...of course it won't last, but I sure have enjoyed it for a while. Maybe Harry will now invite some of those OBSTRUCTIONISTS to the meetings that they have been previously locked out of...(I have never been sure how anyone can be labeled an "obstructionist" when they've pretty much been deprived of taking part in the process...)
January 30, 2010 at 11:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )