I have to say that the right-wing reaction to Scott Brown’s victory is pretty remarkable, even for them. Not only does Brown’s victory signal an end to things like health care and immigration reform and Democratic dominance in Washington, but it is apparently the first shot in a “second American revolution,” as the Christian Defense Coalition.
Indeed, the idea that Brown’s win is the start of some sort of revolution seems to be the right-wing talking point of the day – from the Family Research Council:
“For a Senate seat considered to be in the left-hand column into eternity, the results of the Massachusetts race are nearly revolutionary. President Obama’s desperate visit to the Bay State made it clear that this race was a referendum on his liberal agenda. While the individual candidates were important, it was the respective banners they marched under that were decisive. Martha Coakley marched under the banner of the President’s big government agenda embroidered with healthcare reform. Sen.-elect Brown marched under the opposing standard – and won.
“President Obama’s defeat yesterday is the culmination of the town halls, tea parties, and other efforts of the millions of Americans who continue speaking out against the takeover of our health care system. Many social conservatives held back criticism of Scott Brown’s social views and in some cases openly supported him because they believe a Brown win fulfills a short term goal of blocking President Obama’s abominable health bill.
“Family Research Council and the thousands of families we represent hope this repudiation of President Obama’s Leftist policies will resonate in the halls of Congress. Liberals in Congress can no longer ignore the American people who are outraged by a health care bill that will force every American to support Planned Parenthood in the killing of unborn children, saddle families with higher insurance premiums, raise our taxes and deny our parents and grandparents the essential health care they need.”
The point is echoed by Liberty Counsel:
A new revolution is unfolding in America
“The people of Massachusetts fired a shot heard ‘round the world,” said Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law. Staver continued, “We are witnessing a new revolution in America. It is a revolution of ideas and values. President Barack Obama misread his election victory to be a referendum on radical liberalism. It was not. The radical policies of Obama, Reid and Pelosi have been rejected. The tax and spend, big government, anti-life agenda has been pushed back. ObamaCare has been derailed. It is dead. If, after this election, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party tries to resurrect this Frankenstein called ‘healthcare’ and does not drastically change course, then the Massachusetts election will be a microcosm of November 2010.”
Republican Scott Brown won an historic election last night in Massachusetts by defeating Democrat Martha Coakley to fill the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy for 47 years. Brown becomes the first Republican elected to the United States Congress in Massachusetts since 1972. More importantly, this election breaks the Democratic stranglehold on the 60-vote majority in the Senate.
Staver continued, “Reality is stranger than fiction. How ironic it is that the person who replaced Ted Kennedy could be the deciding vote that kills government healthcare.” Staver concluded, “Democratic and liberal pundits are pointing fingers at Martha Coakley as the reason for this historic shift in the election. In Virginia they tried to explain the defeat of liberal policies to a lackluster candidate. In New Jersey, they said Jon Corzine had too much baggage. Liberal Democratic leaders suffer from the same disease as alcoholics. Until they admit that the problem is their radical policies, they will continue to self-destruct.”
