Massachusetts: What the pundits are saying

Massachusetts: it was the Democrats' election to lose -- and they sure did. While the party regroups, commentators around America (and across the world) have descended to pick apart the election carcass.

Crikey

Jan 21, 2010

Massachusetts: it was the Democrats’ election to lose — and they sure did.

The party has now lost its 60-seat majority in the US Senate, its grand health-care reform plans have been jeopardised, and Obama’s honeymoon is well and truly over.

While the party regroups, commentators around America (and across the world) have descended to pick apart the election carcass.

David S. Broder, The Washington Post
In Massachusetts Senate race, a vote of no confidence

The disillusionment with Democratic-controlled Washington is echoed and amplified by a similar attitude toward the state government on Beacon Hill, where all key positions are also held by Democrats.

Joan Walsh, Salon
Learning the wrong lessons from Massachusetts

Seriously, it was appalling that national Dems began carping at the Coakley campaign before the polls closed, and almost as silly (but understandable) that the campaign responded in kind, blaming lack of material party support, as well as President Obama’s Wall Street friendly policies, for Coakley’s impending loss. All this with at least 4 hours before the polls closed.

Mort Zuckerman, The Daily Beast
He’s done everything wrong

Obama punted on the economy and reversed the fortunes of the Democrats in 365 days … I’m very disappointed. We endorsed him. I voted for him. I supported him publicly and privately.

Joe Conason, The New York Observor
No Obama obits, please

After a run of extraordinary luck that helped get him into the White House, Mr. Obama is indeed confronting his share of trouble. He may well encounter more and worse as the midterm election approaches. But he and his critics should remember the last time a Democratic president had to listen to the drafting of his own political obituary.

George Will, Real Clear Politics
The curse of opportunity

With one piece of legislation, Obama and his congressional allies have done in one year what it took President Lyndon Johnson and his allies two years to do in 1965 and 1966 — revive conservatism. Today conservatism is rising on the stepping stones of liberal excesses.

E.J. Dione, The Washington Post‘s Post Partisan blog
Democrats: stop blaming each other — you’re all guilty

The truth is that everyone who is attacking someone else shares responsibility for this loss. This race was the Democrats’ to lose, and they managed to lose it.

Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
Let’s play the blame game!

If you follow through on the math, this would suggest that Coakley would have won by about 8 points, rather than losing by 5, had the national environment not deteriorated so significantly for Democrats.

Editorial, National Review Online
Brown in