Obama to double down if Brown wins.

[Caliga]

As garbon goes, so goes the nation. 

[Razgovory]

I wonder if you can still pay him to take off his clothes after he's elected.

Earlier I predicted that the gay vote would put him over the top. 

I suspect that's true.  Worthless cocksuckers.

[garbon]

As garbon goes, so goes the nation. 

My platform still needs more work.

[garbon]

I suspect that's true.  Worthless but costly cocksuckers.

Fixed.

[Caliga]

I suspect that's true.  Worthless cocksuckers.

Coakley failed to go into detail about her great love of bottoming and glory holes. 

[DGuller]

Sounds like time for Plan B.

[Caliga]

"Voter fraud!" 

[Neil]

Well, I guess we should be expecting someone coming along to tell us that this is the end of the Democratic party.

Still, it'll be nice that they have to reign in their smugness.

[Admiral Yi]

"Voter fraud!" 

[Caliga]

CNN and Fox both just called it for Brown.

HECKUVA JOB BROWNIE 

[derspiess]

x100

[garbon]

[Savonarola]

It didn't work for Clinton in '93-'94.  The Republicans blocked health care Reform, and were rewarded with a Congressional majority.

I think Obama is in a different position than Clinton.  Both Clinton and Obama made health care reform a center piece of their campaigns, but Clinton didn't have the majority popular vote, while Obama did.  More importantly Obama is a gifted demagogue and has a knack for finding scapegoats; while Clinton's attempts at demonizing his opponents usually came across as whining.

[Fate]

Republicans have saved the Union from the abyss. Now the fight begins to stop any significant legislation from passing until 2011. 

[Sheilbh]

I wonder. It's a bit much to say that Obama's policies have had nothign to do with the Democrat loss in Massachussetts, and New Jersey, and Virginia.

I think that would be overstating it. 

But here's what I notice about those three races that I think is quite interesting.  In MA you have a liberal Republican - from  what he's said in the past - and in Virginia you had a socially conservative Republican running as a pragmatic, government-focused guy and in New Jersey you have the same. 

In the UK by-elections are very different from general ones.  People feel they can make a statement, they tend to be far more localised rather than deciding the next government and the parties very often try out new tactics there.  I don't know if it's the same in the US.  However these look to me like the Republican equivalent of the sort of candidates that Rahm was recruiting in 2006.  If the Republicans are able to do that nationwide then I think they could have a very good year.  If, however, on a national level they go more of the Sarah Palin route then I think the Democrats may lose seats due to dissatisfaction - but it'll be like Tip O'Neill's victory, not Gingrich's.

I've always said that I agree with that old saying that oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them.  But I add one proviso that all an opposition party has to do is appear responsible and ready for government.  If the face of the GOP in 2010 is like Brown, Christie or McDonnell then I think they could do very well (I'd add Pawlentey - though I loath him - and Boehner to that list).  If however they are represented by people like Palin, Cantor and you see known quantities lose primary challenges to conservatives then though they may win a few seats it'll get them little.