The president went to the Bay State Sunday to prop up the fading campaign of Democrat Martha Coakley, who was once considered a shoo-in for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. But now, Republican challenger Scott Brown's ahead in the polls, and the president is staking his credibility on the race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: What Martha's opponent is preaching, we've already tried, and it didn't work. So understand what's at stake here, Massachusetts. It's whether we're going forward or going backwards. It's whether we're going have a future where everybody gets a shot in this society or just the privileged few.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Did you notice the evangelical tone of the speech? It was kind of like a revival meeting. Say amen! Say hallelujah!
Now, Mr. Obama does this when he's trying to rally his base, and clearly that's what he's trying to do here. But if it doesn't work, if Scott Brown wins Tuesday, the president will be badly damaged and all political hell will break loose in America. Obamacare could crash and burn.
Now the reason liberal Massachusetts has turned against the Democrats has to do with the economy and especially health care. Americans simply do not like the corrupt bargains being struck in the health care arena. Louisiana, Nebraska, far-left unions like the SEIU have all been bribed into supporting Obamacare. That's not change we can believe in. That is not hope of any kind. That is backdoor politics of the worst kind, and the folks know it.
On the economic front, I believe the president's doing the best he can. But unemployment remains high; taxes in Massachusetts very high. Things are not good there. "Talking Points" does not believe this is Mr. Obama's fault, but he is in charge.
Adding it all up, you have big time, big time political disenchantment. There's no way a liberal state like Massachusetts goes Republican unless true anger's in the air.
That being said, I know the Bay State. I worked there for years. The Democratic Party is very strong, so Mr. Brown's not a lock, but he is ahead in the polls.
Late Monday, a survey by Insider Advantage gave the Republican a nine point lead, and some Obama people in Washington reportedly think it is all over. But it isn't.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
"Factor" producer Ron Mitchell is one of the forces behind the scenes on this program, and now his son may be following that path. Sean Mitchell recently won a Cub Scout tournament, winning 16 straight derby races.
But what struck us is that Sean could be the reincarnation of Beaver Cleaver. Are you kidding me? Look at this. As you may know, the actor Jerry Mathers played the Beav. And if there's a new sitcom, Sean has got to get the job. Both Beaver and Sean are patriots.
On the pinhead front, actresses Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep tied for best actress at the Critics Choice Awards. To celebrate that fact, they did a little shtick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other award goes to Sandra Bullock.
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: Bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Why they kissed is not quite clear. However, the ladies got a lot of attention, which may be what they were seeking. You can decide if they are pinheads.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox