Democrat Fail: Kennedy Seat Lost to Republican

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-01-19 20:14:00 UTC
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The results are in, and it's not even close. After over four decades in the late Ted Kennedy's capable hands, his Massachusetts Senate seat went to Republican Scott Brown in a special election tonight.

I'm not surprised. The campaign for Democratic candidate Martha Coakley seemed to be going nowhere fast -- and, as a New Yorker, I knew that calling a Red Sox pitcher a Yankees fan wouldn't go over well in Massachusetts. A Huffington Post article dubs her campaign "An Object Lesson in Complacency and Detachment."

Of course, the most attractive thing about Coakley on women's rights was that she'd give the 60th health care vote and a pro-choice advocate, as Pema pointed out in a post last week. And the fact that she's not Scott Brown.

Brown, who wants to deny emergency contraception to rape victims. Brown, who has ties to the birther and Tea Party movements. (Okay, they're practically one movement anyway.) Brown, who supports a constitutional ban against same-sex marriage. I think I'll stop here before it gets too depressing.

There is some good news, as Jon Stewart points out on the Daily Show: "Bush did whatever the f*ck he wanted with a much smaller majority." Thanks for the perspective, Jon. Democrats: grow a spine. You still have 59 out of 100 senators. Get something done, and maybe you'll stop losing elections.

Photo credit: WikiTravel

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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