Massachusetts Raises the Collective Middle Finger

Last night, Massachusetts flipped us the bird. 
They elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate--the first time since 1923 that that had happened in this state.  Granted, Ted Kennedy held the seat for over 40 years, and had inherited it from his brother, but still. 
This was a seat that was there for the Democrat candidate to lose.  And lose she did.  And in my humble opinion, Martha Coakley owes the Kennedy family, and the voters of Massachusetts, a huge apology.  She outright ignored the biggest rule in politics--NEVER, EVER take the electorate for granted.  Once you commit to run, you give it your all, every day--knocking on doors, shaking hands, meeting people, and explaining your positions.  You don't, as Ms. Coakley did, announce that you're the Democratic candidate, and then take a week-long vacation mid-race (unless your name ends with Kennedy or O'Neil, and you've been in office over 30 years, but I digress).  That tells the electorate that you're really not all that interested in the job, and you're just counting on all those true-blue Democrats to come out and vote for you.  It really pisses me off that she not only blew it for her state, but her loss has a huge impact on the rest of the country as well--because of her gigantic failure, the Democrats have lost their "super-majority" (60-40) in the Senate.  All indications are that the results really were all about Ms. Coakley--an overwhelming majority of Massachusetts voters like President Obama, and think he's doing a good job.  They just didn't like her.  Her opponent was not a charismatic person, did not present a smart platform of ideas of what he would do for the state of Massachusetts, and as far as I can tell, didn't have much to say except, "I will vote against Health Care Reform".
THAT'S why I think the Massachusetts voters gave us the finger.  They all have health care, provided by their state government. Polls indicate they are happy with it, for the most part.  So why should they care about the rest of us?  They have theirs.  "Fuck all y'all.  We don't care what the rest of the country needs.  WE'VE GOT OURS."
Yes indeed, they elected a candidate with no vision for the future, from a party with no vision for the country, but they don't care because they've got theirs.
This type of thinking makes me very afraid for this country.
It's time now for the Democrats to take their message back to the country.  Tell us again what they want for our country.  Tell us all why we need universal health care, how it's going to help all of us in the long run.  Tell us not to take our eye off the brightness we see in the future--that brightness, that future, will keep us going through the darkness that is now, that is ahead of us for a bit.  Just a little bit longer.  Our economy is rebounding, but we need to keep working for the Common Good.  Not for the good of the few, the rich, the ones who would like to keep us divided so they can earn more money than they can ever spend.  Not them. But us.
The Democrats need to grow a backbone.  They need to say to the Republicans--bring it on.  Filibuster all you want, but in the end there WILL be a health care bill.  Or change the rules--do away with the "super-majority" rule.  Since when did 51-49 mean you didn't win?
We all need to demand some things too:  we need to demand a vision of the future from both parties.  Spelled out in great detail, with the backing of the great minds of our time, not party hacks.  We need to start thinking for ourselves.  It's scary at first, but I think we can still do it.  And we need to demand accountability.  Ask this simple question:  who is providing the money for your website, your "grassroots organization", your campaign for office?  Who is "the person behind the curtain, and what are their motives?"
But maybe we can start with this question:  "Why did you flip us the bird, Massachusetts?" 

So I wrote a Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

To answer another writer:  “Will we be the generation that fails all those who follow?”  Sadly, yes—because of our greed and shortsightedness.  There are Hoosiers who are calling for property tax caps, failing to recognize that property taxes are the most reliable source of income for schools and local municipalities.  Remove that source of income, and we will absolutely see more of the same—more cuts in funding to schools, additional reductions in services.   Have trouble envisioning where all that will lead?  Look no further than bankrupt California. But hey, we won’t be paying more in taxes!

What’s ironic is most of the loudest “don’t raise my taxes ever” individuals are also those who are against health care reform.  Ask anyone who prepares a budget what the single highest increases are every year, and they will tell you employee health care costs.  It’s not unusual for employers to face double-digit inflation of health care expenditures EVERY year.  So, at a time when teabaggers are screaming for “no taxes” AND “no public option”, they realistically cannot have it both ways. 

Or can they?  I just hope they don’t come crying to me in 20 years when there is nobody left who is educated enough to build, operate, or maintain any of the machinery needed to  keep them alive, when we are part of one monolithic Indiana government.

 I am smart enough to know that we get what we pay for, and I’m willing to do my part.  Are you?