Massachusetts Was Not About Health Care
January 21, 2010 by Brian Jenkins
Filed under Be Risen, Featured
The Democrats just had a scathing loss in the state of Massachusetts, a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one. The Democrat candidate was a very popular Attorney General in the state, maybe so popular that she thought she didn’t have to show up and could go on vacation in the middle of the race. So what does it mean for the country, and what was the political message to Washington?
First of all now Senator Elect Scott Brown, while running as a Republican, never mentioned that he was a Republican, not on his bus, not when talking to people, and not even in accepting his victory. He mentioned independence from political parties often though. So, we can obviously knock out the idea that Republicans are hot right now, matter of fact we can say the opposite. This was the same backlash that got Barack Obama elected. Throw the bums out, we don’t trust Washington, we need an outsider. But, it was even more then that, what was most important to recognize was the political message that Scott Brown ran on.
Scott Brown is a pro torture, attack the terrorists there before they can get us here politician, and he said it. The post election polls reported that the number one issue by far was not health care, but terrorism. Health care is a sexy media issue, but the fears of many Americans are still what wins elections. The state of Massachusetts already has universal health care, and 95 percent of their citizens are covered. Brown attacked the White House on trying terrorists in American courts. When Senator Elect Brown won, in his acceptance speech the loudest applause line was when he said that he believes that we should pay for bigger weapons, not for terrorists to have the rights of Americans in U.S. courts. He is for water boarding, and is upset that it is not done more often.
So what does this mean? As far as health care goes, if that is your concern, the House will have to pass the Senate health care bill so it does not go back to the Senate for a vote. If that doesn’t happen, then President Obama will have to recruit some Republican support. Facts are facts, and the Democrats still have an 18 vote majority, higher then Republicans had since 1923. The fear over having less then 60 votes is a display of the ineffectiveness of Congress and the new found fear of the filibuster.
As far as the people go, they are obviously still swayed by the fears of terrorism, but not only that, they do not know what Washington is up to. I recently got into a conversation where someone who said “Obama hasn’t passed anything.” Ridiculous and uninformed statement was my first reaction. Does this guy realize that we have never seen more done and a more aggressive agenda from a President in the modern era? Does he know how much has been done and how many changes have been made? Is this a joke? Then I realized that this is the electorate. They are not being communicated to by the man who is widely known as the best communicator of our time.
I am not saying that the President just has a message problem, because it is clearly more then that. But, communication is still very essential to the success of any politician, especially a President of the United States. The failure of government is in the congress though. A congress that is more interested in the arguments and political games then in being productive. It is time then for President Obama to take the gloves off and force congressional action. I expect a more populist, pro the people message from the President in the coming months. What I also expect to see is for the first time since the election of President Obama, Republicans will be involved in the political process. When nobody has a filibuster proof majority, there is nobody to blame, so everybody will have to get to work. For the Democrats, the election of Scott Brown was a disaster, for the nation, and ultimately the White House, it may just be a blessing.
- Brian Jenkins
Twitter: @Brian_Jenkins
Americans need to wake up! Your chances of dying from a terrorist attack are less than contracting a rare form of cancer or winning the lotto. The real terror comes when we sit scared on a train, when the inconvenience of flying makes travel something people dread, when we take our own liberties away for “security”. So what someone tried to blow up a plane! He was small time. You think Al-Qaeda is going to make a flight their next big operation….very doubtful. Give the damn pilot a hand-cannon and lock the cabin door. You want to blow up the plane? Fine motherfucker, but you’re not flying it. It was fear that kept Bush in office for a second term and it will be fear, if we let it, that lets the Republicans regain control. Unstable governments and civil war are what the “terrorist” feed off of, it’s their reason for being. Iraq had a secular government with almost no Al-Qaeda presence before we went in and created a vacuum for them…..so basically what I am trying to say is that I don’t think the election of Scott Brown is a blessing, it’s an example of how the American people will forsake what is right just to get that warm feeling of a false security lulling them to sleep at night, when in turn our enemy is laughing. Perhaps, as a supposedly Christian nation, we should really try turning the other cheek and see what happens.
Well said Dan…
Well said…@Dan I concur w/you as well. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed about the healthcare issue…I mean the insurance companies have already jacked up thier premiums to cover their own @@@…with the economy the way it is, I hope that the bill is passed with favorable changes so that I can afford insurance if I no longer have the cushion of corporate America to “split” the cost with me.
I pray there is no universal health care. All thats gonna benefit is tha gov’t. I see it as a monopolized take it or leave it system where u pay what they say, or face fines and/or jail time. I think insurance rates are climbing so they can brace for what can possibly happen in tha future. In tha end we all know what this is about, money and power.
Thats a real sky is falling take Charles. I don’t see how health care for the people benefits the govt past lowering the deficit and reallocating our tax dollars. because as of now, healthcare is 17% of our GDP.
well Charles, unfortunately, the govtmt is the one to rescue everyone who fails. So if they benefit, we all benefit – because we ‘are’ the government.
However, going to the article, people only react to situations which ‘personally; effect them. People in MA do have coverage, so its not their problem. ???? Senator Kennedy was exceptional! We will all become aware of how special he was as in the days ahead.
God bless you all! I pray you don’t get sick.
Ted Kennedy for all the praise we give him is still an obviously under rated Senator…
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was really depresssed after the Mass. elections. Did you hear the President’s speech on Sunday in honor of Dr. King? It was what a speech that put his perspective on his first year. He needs to get back to connecting through communication with America and not have the media tell us what they think is going on. We need to hear from our President. He needs to get back out there and there and drive the agenda…