Massachusetts a Big Win for Progressives

By FireDogLake's Blue Texan FDL

The race for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat was won last night by Republican Scott Brown.

This is a huge win for President Obama and progressives.

“Whaaaa. . . ?” you say.

There are two big victories at work in Massachusetts.

First, the Democrats in Congress now must recognize they will either lose without progressives or will win with progressives. Polls show that many progressives sat home instead of voting for Martha Coakley. Whoever thinks the country can’t be made more progressive by sitting at home was proven wrong last night.

I have said all along that the goal of activists must be to defeat Coakley. We did exactly what we set out to do — crush the establishment backed Democratic candidate, thereby purifying the party. Mission accomplished.

And make no mistake, despite the Beltway spin, we know for certain based on statements from the local Democratic parties, that they chose Coakley based on advice from the Washington crowd, instead of listening to the kind of people who sit at home during special elections.

So we have demonstrated to the Democratic Party that it must not take progressives for granted. The Democrats spent millions on a weak candidate who wasn’t left-wing enough. Had we had a true progressive, the Democrats would’ve held the seat. Now they’ll have no choice but to give us everything we want, including free universal health care.

Secondly, and just as importantly, now President Obama is free to pursue the agenda he’s wanted to all along. Now he can get the health care bill he’s wanted all along, while the DINOs in the Senate and the Blue Dogs in the House won’t be able to hide behind GOP obstruction. Now those DLC types will all run to the left, or run away.

For all intents and purposes, Massachusetts is a trial run for the 2010 midterms. If Robert Menendez and the DSCC do not want to see the midterms go the way of Massachusetts, they better take notice. We can totally take over the party just by staying home.