The only thing more interesting than reveling in Scott Brown’s victory tonight is watching the Democrats try to find someone to blame. Rham Emanuel blamed Martha Coakley and her staff. Martha Coakley’s pollster blamed Washington. Republicans, Conservatives and pundits on the right blamed President Obama and his failure to bring about the bipartisan change he promised. Pundits on the left blame the TEA Parties. All of them are partially correct, but the person who bares the most blame is Senator Ted Kennedy himself.
No, I don’t blame Senator Kennedy for dying. While I vehemently disagreed with him, I prayed for his recovery when he was sick and prayed for his soul when he passed. But his desire to maintain his political power is the single greatest reason Scott Brown was elected Senator tonight. Had Ted Kennedy resigned from the Senate when his health started to fail, with a sympathetic public and ObamaCare far from the top of our minds, he could have hand picked his replacement. In the bluest of blue states, Ted Kennedy’s chosen successor would almost certainly have won, Massachusetts’ special election would have been some time ago, and no one outside of Massachusetts would know who Scott Brown is.
But that didn’t happen. Even though he was largely unable to work missing vote after vote, Senator Kennedy kept his seat until the day he died. That wait, along with Obama’s sinking poll numbers, the public’s anger over government spending and health care, and gaffes by the Coakley campaign created the perfect storm that enabled Ted Kennedy’s seat to become the people’s seat.
It always was the people’s seat. Whether it was his exuberance for public service or his hubris, Ted Kennedy forgot that. Those that desire public office should learn well from that mistake. When you put the people first, the people will reward you. But when you put your own power first, eventually you will fail. Ted Kennedy’s greatest dream was reportedly for public health care. Yet his inability to put the people over himself and retire with dignity may have prevented his dream from becoming reality.
Agree or disagree with ObamaCare, that is not the issue. Agree or disagree with Ted Kennedy politically, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the people are served and the people should always be placed above party and political ambition. That is the message of Scott Brown’s election tonight.
I don’t understand the arguement the Left is trying to make by saying the public was so angry at the previous administration (George Bush and Co.) that they elected Scott Brown. Hmmm…they are mad at the past Republican administration so they elected…a Republican. Yeah, makes perfect sense.