So last year, for my 50th birthday, my best present was watching Barack Obama become President of the United States.
Heady times.
Now, 51, not so much...
I watched this election first-hand with a combination of fascination and horror.
Here's my (hopefully cathartic) opinion on the whole, jumbled mess...
Let me start by saying that I agree with Howard Dean - blame is for losers. When I lose, I blame myself.
That said, there are a million lessons to be learned here.
Health Care Reform: Get it done. Get it in the rear-view mirror, ASAP. Make sure that any immediate benefits are trumpeted to the moon and back.
Whether that means passing the Senate Bill or using reconciliation or some other procedure to get some parts done, I don't know, but get this monster off the television ASAP. People are sick of the chattering from both sides about how it's the end of the world as we know. The confusion in Massachusetts over HCR was stunning.
Get it done.
The Campaign: I'm getting older, my hair is thinning, and I simply can't afford to pull it out like I did during this campaign.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Mass voters were tentative at best about HCR. This perplexed me - national HCR seemed like a huge win for my state, since we already pay for the things that are included in that bill.
For example: raising the age of dependents on HC to 26 benefits Mass.
Ending recission benefits Mass.
Ending the fear of pre-existing conditions benefits Mass.
Having the rest of the country on insurance benefits Mass in that we won't have to pay the estimated $1,000/year on our policies to pay for the currently uninsured.
In addition, I always figured HCR would help us pay our bills, with the added Medicaid reimbursements from the Fed.
But, because the voters didn't hear those arguments, Brown won the argument on health care reform.
I was in Worcester listening to President Clinton and some Mass Reps and someone, forgot who - might have been Clinton - said that national HCR would send $500 million to Massachusetts because of Medicaid reimbursements.
WHERE WAS THAT AD? We heard NOTHING from the Democratic Party on HCR during this race, but plenty from Brown's camp about HCR raising our taxes.
Martha Coakley was the first DA in the country to go after mortgage companies for predatory lending...some of her ads mentioned that, but they offered no details.
She was losing badly in Fitchburg - I did a diary here about her work against Unitil after last year's ice storm. Fitchburg is in horrible shape - the city is bankrupt, library de-certified, etc. - so where was her big visit to Fitchburg reminding them of her work against Unitil and promising to keep fighting for them?
The stimulus package is another perfect example of mind-boggling message failure. At that same meeting in Worcester, the mayor (or someone else) claimed that 500 education positions in Worcester alone were saved by that stimulus bill.
WHERE WAS THAT AD? Where were the Democrats, yet again, telling people in no uncertain terms the benefits that package rained on Massachusetts, from having mayors of Worcester, Boston, Springfield, and even the smaller cities telling the voters flat out that, if Brown had been in the Senate to kill that bill, we would have lost 500 teachers here, 37 firemen there, etc. etc., and heck, where is the Democratic message that the stimulus cut taxes for 95% of working people?
Most people don't know that.
So what do we get instead? Insulting ads like this: "1,736 WOMEN WERE RAPED IN MASSACHUSETTS IN 2008. SCOTT BROWN WANTS HOSPITALS TO TURN THEM ALL AWAY."
Come on. Brown offered an amendment allowing workers at hospitals with sincerely held religious beliefs to defer from giving emergency contraception to rape victims. I disagree with him - perhaps it might have been a point worth debating, but really, Mass is heavily Catholic. This is a loser approach in this state. Pro-choice is a winner, but this was over-the-top, particularly since after his amendment was defeated, Brown voted for the bill anyway.
Ed Schultz: Okay, I've harped on Ed before, and when I say "Ed Schultz," I mean all of them - Schultz, Hamsher, Huffington. I pick on Ed out of love, and I think he'd make a great Senator, by the way.
But...his absolutist, all-negative, all-the-time messaging on HCR was bad. Very, very bad.
In Massachusetts, if you're under 150% of the poverty level, you qualify for Masshealth Medicaid. Sound familiar?
In Massachusetts, if you don't qualify, but cannot afford private insurance (which is mandated), you will be subsidized to get it. Sound familiar?
But to hear Ed rant about HCR, it was, and I quote, "no reform at all!" I call baloney. Don't tell me that the Massachusetts' plan is no reform at all, because it certainly is, and it has something like an 81% approval rating.
There's a huge difference between "it should go further!" and "it's no reform at all!" and so, in your attempt to prod hard from the left, you surrender the message. Few people are political junkies and fewer still are politically astute. Many people came to the process last year because of left-wing talking heads like Ed and Keith and even more so because of places like DailyKos and Huffpo.
When the hyperbole flies that Obama=Bush, or HCR is "no reform at all!" or "Obama is all for the banks," many of those same people will just throw up their hands and walk away. By the way, if you believe that nonsense, then why do you care who won in the Massachusetts Senate race?
The perfect circular firing squad, if you will, and nowhere in the world is it more evident than right here on DailyKos.
You lose enthusiasm and voters, or, even worse, those same disgruntled people will fall for the "change" message of the Republican candidate, as we saw here in Massachusetts.
"Marsha" Coakley: The son of Ted Kennedy campaigned for Martha Coakley and repeatedly called her "Marsha." Are you kidding me?
Martha Coakley has a lot of great attributes, and from what I know of her work as DA, she will indeed roll up her sleeves and fight for the little guy. But "all politics is local," and nowhere is that more true than in Massachusetts. I won't put all the blame on her - the people around her failed to get her out there connecting with the voters.
Yes, you have to go to the neighborhoods and kiss babies. Yes, you have to shake hands and ask people for their votes. in fact, you should WANT to do those things for the people you plan to represent.
Similarly, you don't need to know the history of the Red Sox, even here in Massachusetts, but damn it, don't try to fake it. Martha Coakley was the one who brought up "Yankee fan" in that interview, regarding Rudy Giuliani. If you don't know what you're talking about, don't try to fake it. Admit you don't follow sports - you won't get crucified for that, but if you're bringing sports, particularly the Red Sox, into the equation, you darned well better know what you're talking about.
Five-year-olds in Massachusetts will recite the lore of the bloody sock to you. Seriously. When Tom Brady was seen in a Yankees' hat, it was a statewide scandal.
On that note...
Massachusetts Democratic arrogance: How do I defend the state Democrats for changing the rules in 2004 to prevent Governor Romney from putting a GOPer in place of John Kerry, had John Kerry won the Presidency? How do I defend them for then changing the rules again to allow Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, to appoint a Dem to fill Kennedy's seat?
I don't. Play by the damned rules. And give the voting public the benefit of the doubt that we will punish anyone who abuses those rules for party gain.
At that Worcester rally I spoke of, there were about 750 people in attendance, listening to two Reps, the Mayor of Worcester, President Clinton and Martha Coakley. As it ended, they descended from the stage, walked a line in front shaking a few hands and well, that was it. I couldn't get near any of them. I can accept that from President Clinton, but from the others? Contrast that to Scott Brown, who shook every hand and greeted everyone who had taken the time to come out and see him.
Little things add up.
The Tea Partiers and the NOISE Machine: Where to begin? These people scare the hell out of me, because they're so misinformed and certain in their beliefs, there's no arguing. And they're growing in number, like alien pod people, every day. The organizers, the astroturfers and the Glenn Beckerheads certainly aren't our allies, nor are the many extremists you flock in with their Nazi signs and the like. But we're losing many people to this propaganda who should be our allies: the disenfranchised who have been shat upon for years.
Why? I think the Democrats have been underestimating the power of the right-wing noise machine for more than a decade now. Put on your radio in blue Massachusetts - sports, rock, talk, doesn't matter - and you will hear "libtards" and "demoncrats" wall to wall. It's insidious and effective because it's presented simply and repeatedly.
You can't fight fire with fire on this. It won't work, and all that does is make the other side dig their heels in even more, and push away the people who just don't want to hear it anymore. Go after Curt Schilling and see how many Massachusetts people you endear to your cause.
(An aside, Curt is a dear personal friend of mine. I think he's misguided in his politics - he thinks the same of me. Forget what he did with the Red Sox if you don't care, but the simple truth of the matter is, Curt has a heart of gold. He treats the guys and gals at 38 Studios like family, gives them the best benefits possible, and runs to their aid when there's trouble, open arms and if need be, open wallet in hand. He does tremendous work for the ALS charities, and his wife Shonda does great work with the Shade Foundation and a hundred other causes. He and I could yell at each other all day about politics, but we'd end with a hug and a laugh.)
So how to counter the radio drivel? Results. Like the ads I mentioned above. Show the people of Massachusetts the benefits the stimulus gave to their towns. Tell them clearly about the tax cut they got in that package. Tell them how and why national HCR will be a boon to their state.
How to win? (Or, why should we care?): You'll hear from the left that Obama and the D's need to tack left. You'll hear from the right (and the center D's) that they need to moderate. I don't think it's an either/or situation. I heard a quote yesterday - I think it was Matthews, and to paraphrase: "Don't govern to get re-elected, govern as if you know you won't get re-elected."
The Democrats have to stop their whining, from both ends of the line. Pass health care, like I said. Have a big signing party in the rose garden and highlight all the good points.
And before the ink dries, go after all the problems that occurred because of the wretched process in the structural bill. Have Senator Dorgen introduce his drug re-importation bill - short and to the point - immediately and dare the Republicans to filibuster it. It's easy to filibuster grandiose bills like HCR because it's easy to scare people on something that big, but single-issue, simple-to-understand bills are harder to mis-characterize.
Line them up, one after the other and let the fights begin.
Same with Wall St. President Obama wants to hit them with fees. That's a winner. DO IT. If they won't lose their tone-defaness, smack them in the ears until they do. Do it with anger and passion - and if you're not angry and passionate, then quit pretending that I should give a rat's nether quarters whether you or a GOPer holds your seat.
And, for all that is good in the world, quit expecting that everyone will magically gravitate towards you just because you passed something you believe beneficial (stimulus). Show them the benefits in their everyday life.
For example, there are important changes coming in Credit Card Regulations in about 20 days. Show them, tell them, explain to them how you wanted to do X, Y and Z, too, like capping rates, but the GOP stopped it.
Ah well, that's enough. I'm just trying to pick myself up now and figure out what's next.
Peace,
Bob