A lot of entertaining Senate and other down-ballot debates took place yesterday night all over the country.
A lot of good Democratic candidates.
One in particular is Tammy Baldwin, who is running against Republican Tommy Thompson for the senate seat in Wisconsin.
In their debate last night, Thompson acted like a lout and a drunk. At a key point in the debate, he interjected himself rudely, likening her to Joe Biden interrupting Paul Ryan in their debate.
The audience grumbled and booed. Baldwin didn't say anything.
Later, on his heels about the fact that his stock portfolio contained investments with outfits in Iran, Thompson said he had sold those stocks earlier in the day (how convenient!) when he apparently found out about it.
The audience wasn't buying it, they grumbled and booed. Baldwin didn't take advantage.
If there's one thing that bugs me about the stylistics of politics, it's that Republicans know how to obnoxiously repeat the same three or four tired memes uniformly from the top to the bottom of that party while Democrats don't do that.
When the audience boos, dear Democrats, the proper response should be, "Don't boo, VOTE!".
Today, President Obama began the "Romnesia" meme. Joe Biden followed it up later in the day. I'm sure others will too, but with Democrats you never know.
Democrats who run away from Obamacare in tough races will lose, just like 2010.
Democrats who decide to shout from the rooftops about it and what it would mean if Romney replaced it will win, just like 2010.
What's ironic is that Republicans fall in line behind total strawmen with ease while too often Democrats seem to have a more difficult time getting really passionate and indignant about REAL problems.
I think Tammy Baldwin will probably win in Wisconsin, thanks to riding the President's coattails as well as running against a former Bushie with a sour attitude.
But if Democrats hope to regain the Congress and really do something, it's not enough that only Baldwin wins. Gotta win a lot of the really close races and that means giving yourselves the permission to put the hammer down, call your opponents out on their crap, and use some of the pearls that Obama and Biden are spoon-feeding us with their mix of passion and humor.