The American Spectator : Downtown Scotty Brown

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Downtown Scotty Brown

By Robert Stacy McCain on 1.20.10 @ 6:08AM

Scott's shot heard 'round the world

BOSTON, Mass. -- If every Republican in Massachusetts wasn't inside the ballroom of the Park Plaza Hotel on Tuesday night, it was only because the city's fire marshal is a Democrat.

Ayla Brown, the "American Idol" daughter of Sen.-elect Scott Brown, was rocking the capacity crowd to the tune of "Some Kind of Wonderful" when it was announced that Democrat Martha Coakley had conceded. The crowd began to chant: "John Kerry's next! John Kerry's next!"

Like the 2004 Boston Red Sox who broke an eight-decade curse by winning the World Series, Brown's victorious surge has inspired Republicans in Massachusetts and nationwide to believe that anything is possible.

While Brown's supporters chanted inside the ballroom, the candidate's sister Lee Ann was outside the hotel on the sidewalk beside Arlington Street.

"What kind of guy is he?" she said of her older brother, who was a surrogate father in their single-mom home. "When there was a father-daughter event at my school, Scott took me. When there was a parent-teacher conference and our mom couldn't make it because she had to work, Scott was there."

At Tuesday's victory celebration, Brown was there for every member of the American majority who, according to polls, believe that Obama and the Democrats have been taking the nation in the wrong direction. Brown's victory in Massachusetts was celebrated by Republicans and conservatives nationwide.

Many contributed, many volunteered, but the lion's share of the credit belongs to Lee Ann's big brother -- a candidate who ran a nearly flawless campaign and showed that a conservative message can appeal to independent voters.

"Tonight, the independent majority has delivered a great victory," Brown said in his victory speech.

"Forty-one! Forty-one!" the crowd chanted in response. And when the crowded quieted slightly, the candidate struck a populist theme.

"While the honor is mine…this is the people's seat," Brown said, adding that he had spoken by phone to interim Sen. Paul Kirk, whose career in Washington can't end soon enough for Brown's supporters.

"Seat him now! Seat him now!" the crowd chanted.

This wasn't the first long shot Brown has made. As a high school basketball star, his skill at hitting long-range jump shots earned him the nickname "Downtown Scotty Brown."

For weeks, Brown had described his quest to win this Senate seat -- occupied by Ted Kennedy for more than four decades -- as a battle against "the machine." Tuesday night, he turned that phrase around, telling his supporters: "Tonight we have shown everyone -- you are the machine!"

For a Republican to win here in Massachusetts required a convergence of several forces, including a conservative grassroots hungry for a winner and a Democratic opponent so spectacularly inept as to alienate many of her own party's constituencies. During the course of her campaign, Coakley insulted Catholics, Red Sox Fans and pickup truck drivers.

After the balloons had dropped and the confetti cannons had covered the ballroom floor with red, white and blue paper, Rob Eno of the Massachusetts conservative blog Red Mass Group sat down and said, "I can't begin to say how huge this is."

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About the Author

Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (19) | Leave a comment

drudge ette obama| 1.20.10 @ 6:27AM

What a difference in candidates between Scott Brown is and Al Franken.

On one hand, you have a emotionally happy and strong person in Brown, and a miserable angry person in Franken.

One wears a diaper, the other drives a truck.

I think I will take my truck to work today.

No kings in America!

Alan Brooks| 1.20.10 @ 9:57AM

"On one hand, you have a emotionally happy and strong person in Brown, and a miserable angry person in Franken."

Now you are getting somewhere, it IS about illiberalism versus conservatism; or less charitably Liberal fascism (Jonah's book is as good as it gets) versus social conservatism.
But NOT fiscal conservatism. As I will keep reminding you, if you have largely abandoned the "government is the enemy" rhetoric then you are tacitly admitting government is if not a friend then certainly a good acquaintance?
You can be politically schizophrenic on social issues, but how can you be such concerning economic issues?
You cannot be a small-big government conservative, no matter how you try to spin it.
Massachusetts? C'mon! Do you really think the welfare state in Mass will be even be dented by this?

You will only slow the rate in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase of the increase of the increase of the increase in increase 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Muleskinner| 1.20.10 @ 7:04AM

To all who had doubts ,our system works. God bless America.

Appleby| 1.20.10 @ 7:15AM

I am an American living in Kanukistan, whose motto is WHAT CAN YOU DOOOOOOOOOO?

I hope some of them take note that in America we KNOW what to do -- and once we see that it is possible to do it, we DO IT.

We have them on the run; let us not let up on them til we drive them off the cliff.

Alan Brooks| 1.20.10 @ 12:14PM

You said the same thing in November 1994!

Helen Donnelly| 1.20.10 @ 2:43PM

Alan - Do you EVER have anything positive to say? Zip it up for a day, OK?

tjsker| 1.20.10 @ 7:34AM

The Democratic talking points must have been issued pretty early Tuesday morning:

1) That Brown ran as an independent (truth is they just couldn’t say the C)
2) That Brown’s victory was a vote for change (to align him with the democrats on health care.)

Ret. Marine| 1.20.10 @ 8:00AM

Congrad's to Col. Brown and Ma. for a job well done. Yeah, even a simple truck driver has it in him to succeed in this great Country. Makes one proud to be an American, proud to see a citizen soldier elected in place of a lib rot infested cancer and gives renewed confidence in our Representative Republic.

Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 1.20.10 @ 8:12AM

Ret Marine: Normally in the morning, during PT, I'm not in a very good mood at all, but today, despite the fact that my Platoon Sergeant was trying to kill me, as he always tries to do, nothing could bring me down, nothing. God Bless Senator Scott Brown, we need a soldier, to fight the battles down there in D.C., to bring this Country back from internal defeat. Airborne!!

Ret. Marine| 1.20.10 @ 7:07PM

Good to hear someone is putting in a hard days work. I can understand the good platoon Sgt. trying to kill you each and every morning. Hell I used to do the same to my troops. It's good for you and one day during a swap-meet with the real bullets session you'll be thankful of his attempted muderous daily routine.
Hang in there trooper, it will all washout in the end. Our justification will be good enough for the People, that's what counts. Isn't it great to be an American and a Patriot? oooohrah.

Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 1.20.10 @ 8:25PM

Isn't it great to be an American and a Patriot?

It sure is Marine, which is the greatest thing I've taken out of my tours to Iraq, the place sure does make you love this Country more than you ever knew you did (God Bless everything about America, and most definitely the food).

And then when I get back here, and see what's been going on while I was gone, I wonder to myself, was I on the frontline over there, or was the War going on here all along? But it's alright by me, I'll take the fight, anywhere it needs to be, or to anyone, it needs to be taken to.

One other thing, I've really enjoyed reading your posts, since you showed up here. Keep up the good job, but don't let the Trolls drive you nuts.

gearjammer| 1.20.10 @ 10:19AM

Brooks liberalism has always been a free ride, a no consequence, feel good thing. Now it is biting and damaging people. And guess what Americans are often mindless, magical thinking fools-but they hate pain. Democrats=pain. They hate this. And, beneath the veneer of softness, escapist behavior, the lust for just chilling out, being endlessly entertained, self actualizing actualizing pursuit and all the rest is the dna of the hard, tough, fierce people who built this country-and this carries over to alot of the immigrants. Do not be so cynical and defeatist. A fight is coming the brainwashing machinery of media and hollywood can't cast a spell on the masses, accounting gimmicks won't hide the red ink. The people in significant numbers are out from under the ether. Liberalism has mauled them and is going for the total kill of the middle class. WE WILL FIGHT ! JOIN OUR RANKS ! BE A WARRIOR!

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.20.10 @ 10:53AM

Nah, gearjammer.
Alan is a whiner...born and bred. Either give him his whole cookie.....right now..........or listen to him whine till he dies.

Margie| 1.20.10 @ 1:05PM

Howard Dean said Brown ended up winning because "their message (Democrats) didn't get out there enough".. or some such thing.
Actually Brown won because their message got out loud and clear, the message being: "WE WILL WE WILL OWN YOU!"
And the people of Massachusetts said no thank you!

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.20.10 @ 2:29PM

Margie,
... a brilliant coda to this thread. Thank you, and God bless.
PS: "whining". (smile)

dsmith| 1.20.10 @ 3:08PM

Up until today I have said to those who lament the occupants of the White House, "Yeah, but who in the Republican Party could have beat him?"
If Scott Brown performs in the Senate as he did in his campaign, I think I have my answer.

And if he runs in 2112, Democrats can say "He betrayed and abandoned his people in Mass. Much in the way Obama did his in Chicago for nicer digs in the White House. Much as Hillary Clinton did, when offered a job which included world travel. Better than warming a seat in the Senate.

Politics. Its wonderful. Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

Bob Belvedere| 1.20.10 @ 8:07PM

Quoted from and Linked to at:
Happy Anniversary Mr. President

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