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January 12, 2010

'It's not the Kennedy's seat, it's not the Democrats' seat, it's the people's seat.'

Thomas Lifson
In the Senatorial debate yesterday in Massachusetts, moderator David Gergen posed a question to Scott Brown, mentioning the "Kennedy seat." Brown immediately responded,

"With all due respect, it's not the Kennedy's seat, it's not the Democrats' seat, it's the people's seat."

You can watch the telling moment here:




David Gergen is regarded by people on the left as neutral and non-partisan. Fewer conservatives see him that way, to say the least. I don't think he was an appropriate choice for this debate, but at least he offered Scott Brown a chance to rebut the feudalistic thinking of the Massachusetts electorate with political offices belonging to members of a quasi-royal clan.

Hat tip: Susan L.

Update:

Robert Costa at NRO aptly compares Brown's moment to a key moment of Ronald Reagan during a candidate forum:

Nearly 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan was in a high-school gymnasium in Nashua, N.H. His chances of winning the GOP presidential nomination were dimming, ever since George H. W. Bush scored an upset win against the Gipper in the Iowa caucuses. Before the debate in Nashua, Reagan became angry about other candidates being blocked from participating in the event. He tried to address the situation with the debate's moderator. The moderator, a local newspaper editor, wasn't pleased, and promptly moved to cut off Reagan's microphone. Reagan, of course, would have none of it, saying: "I'm paying for these microphones, Mr. Green!" It was a wonderful, assertive moment that helped make Reagan .
Brown isn't running for president, but his comment is equally arresting, crystallizing a difference in worldviews. Massachusetts voters are accustomed to politicians treating their offices as a form of personal property. But every now and then, they get sick and tired of it all, and express their objections. They have elected Republican governors in the past, to keep an eye on the Democrat-controlled State Legislature.

The Bay State electorate largely understands that control of the United States Senate filibuster power is at stake. If they apply the checks-and-balances approach to national politics that they sometimes apply to state politics, it could really help Brown.
Savvy insiders tell us that there is no way Massachusetts will elect a Republican to the Senate. But the election will be turnout-driven, and all the energy is behind Brown, who is surging. This incident can't hurt.

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