We can debate what did and did not cause the majority of voters (and a significant number of Democratic voters) to pull the lever for Scott Brown. We can debate who is the most corrupt person/corporation behind the curtain in the teabagger phenomenon.
What we can't debate is that Americans are in a furious anti-incumbent, kick the bums out mood.
How are we progressives going to get with the program and adjust our strategies to this increasing voter anger to take our movement forward? Better question: are we?
We saw it coming as late as November 2009.
One year out from midterm elections, anti-incumbent sentiment is approaching its highest level in two decades, according to a poll released Wednesday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
The survey found that 53 percent of Americans said most members of Congress should not be reelected, compared with just 34 percent who said most members should be reelected.
We're all angry, but the most angry among us is independents.
That anti-incumbent sentiment was prevalent among independents. Only 42 percent of independent voters wanted to see their own representative reelected, while 41 percent did not. And 67 percent do not want to see most members of Congress keep their seats, compared with 25 percent who said they would like most members reelected. Both measures are close to all-time lows in two decades of Pew surveys.
The throw the bums out attitude is alive and well, and while Republicans and Democrats alike are responsible for this mood, the Republicans are the ones taking advantage of it to move their right-wing philosophy forward by running one candidate after another in what we consider (or used to consider) our safe districts.
The Republicans maintain there is no safe district, and so do I. We need to refocus our efforts on taking out their incumbents.
Yes. We need to continue our insistence on holding our sitting Democrats accountable. I'm all about that. But we need to equal our efforts on running "better" Democrats against Republican incumbents. NOW.
I'm doing my part. I am working with a great, progressive, attractive, working man Democrat (Billy Kennedy) to take on rightwing nutjob Virginia Foxx (NC-5).
Here's my candidate, Billy Kennedy:
Here's the Republican incumbent, Virginia Foxx:
We're full tilt. We have our act together, our message together, and Billy hits the road the first date of filing to take her on and out. (Full ActBlue page still in draft and will be ready by filing date, but you can contribute early if you like.)
So that's where I'm channeling my efforts. I've got this one. Which of these Republican incumbent House members will you sign up for?:
Aderholt, Robert AL-04
Akin, Todd MO-02
Alexander, Rodney LA-05
Austria, Steve OH-07
Bachmann, Michele MN-06
Bachus, Spencer AL-06
Barrett, J. Gresham SC-03
Bartlett, Roscoe MD-06
Barton, Joe TX-06
Biggert, Judy IL-13
Bilbray, Brian CA-50
Bilirakis, Gus FL-09
Bishop, Rob UT-01
Blackburn, Marsha TN-07
Blunt, Roy MO-07
Boehner, John OH-08
Bonner, Jo AL-01
Bono Mack, Mary CA-45
Boozman, John AR-03
Boustany, Charles LA-07
Brady, Kevin TX-08
Broun, Paul GA-10
Brown, Henry SC-01
Brown-Waite, Ginny FL-05
Buchanan, Vern FL-13
Burgess, Michael TX-26
Burton, Dan IN-05
Buyer, Steve IN-04
Calvert, Ken CA-44
Camp, Dave MI-04
Campbell, John CA-48
Cantor, Eric VA-07
Cao, A. Joseph LA-02
Capito, Shelley Moore WV-02
Carter, John TX-31
Cassidy, Bill LA-06
Castle, Michael DE-00
Chaffetz, Jason UT-03
Coble, Howard NC-06
Coffman, Mike CO-06
Cole, Tom OK-04
Conaway, Michael TX-11
Crenshaw, Ander FL-04
Culberson, John TX-07
Davis, Geoff KY-04
Deal, Nathan GA-09
Dent, Charlie PA-15
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln FL-21
Diaz-Balart, Mario FL-25
Dreier, David CA-26
Duncan, John TN-02
Ehlers, Vernon MI-03
Emerson, Jo Ann MO-08
Fallin, Mary OK-05
Flake, Jeff AZ-06
Fleming, John LA-04777
Forbes, J. Randy VA-04
Fortenberry, Jeff NE-01
Foxx, Virginia NC-05 (DONE)
Franks, Trent AZ-02
Frelinghuysen, Rodney NJ-11
Gallegly, Elton CA-24
Garrett, Scott NJ-05
Gerlach, Jim PA-06
Gingrey, Phil GA-11
Gohmert, Louie TX-01
Goodlatte, Bob VA-06
Granger, Kay TX-12
Graves, Sam MO-06
Griffith, Parker AL-05
Guthrie, Brett KY-02
Hall, Ralph TX-04
Harper, Gregg MS-03
Hastings, Doc WA-04
Heller, Dean NV-02
Hensarling, Jeb TX-05
Herger, Wally CA-02
Hoekstra, Peter MI-02
Hunter, Duncan D. CA-52
Inglis, Bob SC-04
Issa, Darrell CA-49
Jenkins, Lynn KS-02
Johnson, Sam TX-03
Johnson, Timothy IL-15
Jones, Walter NC-03
Jordan, Jim OH-04
King, Peter NY-03
King, Steve IA-05
Kingston, Jack GA-01
Kirk, Mark IL-10
Kline, John MN-02
Lamborn, Doug CO-05
Lance, Leonard NJ-07
Latham, Tom IA-04
LaTourette, Steven OH-14
Latta, Bob OH-05
Lee, Chris NY-26
Lewis, Jerry CA-41
Linder, John GA-07
LoBiondo, Frank NJ-02
Lucas, Frank OK-03
Luetkemeyer, Blaine MO-09
Lummis, Cynthia WY-00
Lungren, Dan CA-03
Mack, Connie FL-14
Manzullo, Donald IL-16
Marchant, Kenny TX-24
McCarthy, Kevin CA-22
McCaul, Michael TX-10
McClintock, Tom CA-04
McCotter, Thaddeus MI-11
McHenry, Patrick NC-10
McKeon, Howard "Buck" CA-25
McMorris Rodgers, Cathy WA-05
Mica, John FL-07
Miller, Candice MI-10
Miller, Gary CA-42
Miller, Jeff FL-01
Moran, Jerry KS-01
Murphy, Tim PA-18
Myrick, Sue NC-09
Neugebauer, Randy TX-19
Nunes, Devin CA-21
Olson, Pete TX-22
Paul, Ron TX-14
Paulsen, Erik MN-03
Pence, Mike IN-06
Petri, Thomas WI-06
Pitts, Joe PA-16
Platts, Todd PA-19
Poe, Ted TX-02
Posey, Bill FL-15
Price, Tom GA-06
Putnam, Adam FL-12
Radanovich, George CA-19
Rehberg, Denny MT-00
Reichert, Dave WA-08
Roe, Phil TN-01
Rogers, Harold "Hal" KY-05
Rogers, Mike AL-03
Rogers, Mike MI-08
Rohrabacher, Dana CA-46
Rooney, Tom FL-16
Roskam, Peter IL-06
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana FL-18
Royce, Ed CA-40
Ryan, Paul WI-01
Scalise, Steve LA-01
Schmidt, Jean OH-02
Schock, Aaron IL-18
Sensenbrenner, F. James WI-05
Sessions, Pete TX-32
Shadegg, John AZ-03
Shimkus, John IL-19
Shuster, Bill PA-09
Simpson, Mike ID-02
Smith, Adrian NE-03
Smith, Christopher NJ-04
Smith, Lamar TX-21
Souder, Mark IN-03
Stearns, Cliff FL-06
Sullivan, John OK-01
Terry, Lee NE-02
Thompson, Glenn PA-05
Thornberry, Mac TX-13
Tiahrt, Todd KS-04
Tiberi, Pat OH-12
Turner, Michael OH-03
Upton, Fred MI-06
Walden, Greg OR-02
Wamp, Zach TN-03
Westmoreland, Lynn GA-03
Whitfield, Ed KY-01
Wilson, Joe SC-02
Wittman, Rob VA-01
Wolf, Frank VA-10
Young, C.W. "Bill" FL-10
Young, Donald AK-00