The truth is that liberalism is not in a strong majority in Massachusetts, but it is historically a majority, and it is a majority that has been exploitable by an in place party apparatus.

You’re absolutely right, of course. this Gallup poll shows that a strong majority identifies as or leans Democratic in Mass. (57%) I am not disputing that at all. I know that there was no real change in the dynamics of liberal/moderate/conservative balance in Massachusetts from this election. (Nor was there nationally in 2008, for that matter.) I would also agree that the candidate herself, her poor campaign, and the inability of the state Democratic Party to put up someone better and/or support her properly are a big part of the loss.

I was mostly responding to the venom from Azkyroth and NewEnglandBob when their version of ‘analysis’ of the election is simply to call the people that voted for Brown morons.

I suppose that it feels good to assume that anyone that has different opinions than you and/or votes for the ‘wrong’ candidate is stupid.

It must feel good to assume that people, who conclude that people who are not both filthy rich and expecting to die of natural causes within the next few years and yet vote for the modern Republican party are stupid, are simply “assuming” things rather than having reached this conclusion by a rational and exhaustive consideration of the available evidence and the arguments, both stated and implied, for and against the various positions involved.

To avoid actually “assuming” something, I’ll leave it up to you to tell me whether it feels good to assume this because it assuages the deep-seated uneasiness you feel from realizing you’re an utter fucking moron yourself, or whether it feels good to assume this because you’re desperately hoping that if we just pretend all ideas are equally sound and all plans are equally viable and “what guiding vision and policy plan should the government have” is the same kind of question as “what’s your favorite ice cream flavor,” all the NASTINESS will just magically stop.

You are right that there are regional differences, obviously. But the difference from region to region has become over the last few decades very small except in a few states where there has been very little movement in or out.

So we’ll see a right Republican Senator from Massachusetts only after we see a moderate Dem Senator from Montana!!!!

Which we did.

Greg, if this were true, then why do certain regions of the country hold there political character for decades at a time, if not longer?

Whats all this talk about ‘fly-over country’ and the ‘left coast’? If not a recognition of regional political leanings? Are you arguing the bad campaigining takes place, year after year in New Hampshire, and thats why the Repubs keep winning up there? I can hardly bear to write that sentence without laughing.

You arent making the following point exactly, but I think you’d agree that pundits place an inordinate amount of importance on Whats Happening Right Now! to the expense of decent analysis all the time. Anyone remember the endless pontificating over Jim Jeffords? Can anyone tell me a single piece of important legislation his defection resulted in (or blocked)?

So yes Id agree generally the S. Brown election should probably not be read as a strict referendum on Obama’s policies, but nor should it be dismissed as merely bad campaigning either. If the house Dems want to win in Nov, theyd better do a deeper analysis than that.

Seriously, though, Massachusetts politics is weird in many ways. The Democrats have long totally dominated the state legislature (about 75% of the members are Democrats and the Republicans don’t bother to run a candidate in many districts), but Republicans were elected as governor for over 15 years. The reputation of the Democratic party in the state has taken some hits lately because of scandals and high taxes during an economic depression.

Come to think of it, maybe thats why Mass voters went Repub this time.

But to your rebuttal, would you disagree the Mass. is ground zero for modern American liberalism? While the northeast generally speaking is declining in power within America, Mass. is still considered home territory for the Democratic party. So to lose there, in Teddy’s former seat, the man who kickstarted Obama’s campaign, to lose there with all the Catholic guilt and pathos, with the pressure of the future of Obamacare hanging by fingernails, seems a clear message to me.

OTOH, this may be the wakeup call that saves Obama’s Presidency. He has three years to internalize this message and put some distance between himself and this loss.

Right. One party to congress, and one party to the state house. Strangely, though, the former are Democrats the latter Republican.

It is why there is so much hand wringing by so many different Democrats today about whether it is now possible to continue with health care reform. Republicans would not waver one second if a major proposal of theirs took such a minor hit. It is easy to maintain cohesion and walk in lock step when everyone already thinks alike.