Scott Brown's historic election win on Tuesday night communicated very clearly that the voters of America have had it with the direction that President Obama is taking her. In repudiating the choice hand picked by Ted Kennedy's family (though they couldn't seem to get her name right in public) the voters of Massachusetts did the nation a big favor.
With Brown on board -- he has already promised to be in Washington by Friday -- the Senate is no longer filibuster proof, and the call from the left to bring on even more hardcore "Chicago-style" politics has reached fevered pitch. Democrats are openly proposing ways they can cheat the rules in a last-ditch move to ram the government-run take-over of health care through Congress even after the punitive message from "We the People" in Massachusetts.
But hear me carefully on this next bit: The message of Brown's win is NOT a mandate for the GOP!
The Associated Press quoted a Massachusetts voter on Tuesday who illustrates my point:
"I voted for Obama because I wanted change. ... I thought he'd bring it to us, but I just don't like the direction that he's heading," said John Triolo, 38, a registered independent who voted in Fitchburg.
In a nutshell this explains where America is at just one year into Barack Obama's term in office.
Republicans were far too quick to jump on board the bailout and stimulus push in 2007 and 2008, and they were far too slow to get on the Tea Party/Townhall train in 2009.
The reason Scott Brown won so decisively is not because he captured the 1 out of every 7 voters in Massachusetts who are registered Republicans. He won because he captured the 3 out of every 7 voters in Massachusetts who are independents. Early in the week Brown polled 77% (favorable) to 16% (unfavorable) amongst Massachusetts voters who were sick of both parties.
Scott Brown won because he had a consistently conservative, low-tax, pro-job-growth, throw-the-bums-out-and-start-over-again, message. And it worked.
Republicans would do themselves well to heed the cries for independence, fair-play, low taxes, and the creation of jobs as the most important agenda for the immediate priority.
It would also be bad case of overreach on Republicans part to believe that they can return to doing big government better than the Democrats can.
The growing sentiment in America is for smaller government, more individual control and a great say over the life, family, and rights of the individual.
In the end if Republicans don't adapt and swim with that tide they will find themselves fighting an undercurrent that will pull them under.
The Democrats understand that their future is in the cross hairs. Republicans are at a crossroads.
If the Republican Party can embrace its historic roots and it will emerge victorious.
If, instead, they become the weak-kneed shadow of the liberal Democratic party that they became towards the end of the second Bush term they will sink into election infamy.
At the very least Brown's win on Tuesday night puts beads of sweat on President Obama's brow. And from where this member of "We the People" sits...
That ain't bad!
Kevin McCullough is the nationally syndicated host of "'Baldwin/McCullough Radio" now heard on 207 stations and columnist based in New York. He blogs at www.muscleheadrevolution.com. His second book "The Kind Of MAN Every Man SHOULD Be" is in stores now. And host of "The Kevin McCullough Show" weekdays 7a-9am EST on Sirius 161.
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