Today Massachusetts voters sent the country a message. They are not interested in single party health care reform. We also may never again in our lifetimes see a 60 vote Senate majority held by either party. It also outlines how in the information age, changes in electorate opinions can change in a moment, no one knew who Scott Brown as late as one week ago.
Tonight’s vote will cause disarray amongst the blue dogs democrats who’s vote for the current healthcare bills should no longer be taken for granted. This is truly a historic event, just one year ago President Obama carried Massachusetts by 26%.
Now the President and the Senate will have to consider their options which are pretty straight forward:
A) Sit down with the senate republicans to pass a bi-partisan healthcare reform bill with points that both parties agree on.
B) Try to convince the house democrats to pass the senate version of the health care reform bill.
Option A is the only workable solution, but with the rhetoric in Washington it is doubtful that this will happen, but still a possibility.
Option B is political sucide
This also sends a message to state legislatures that punitive healthcare reform and anti industry measures are not nearly as popular as those who propose government controlled healthcare make them out to be. There should be much consideration taken by legislatures before they embark on restrictive healthcare measures.
If they take this election to heart, we will see a shift towards the center of politicians in Democrat party and their leadership. The private sector should not be ignored.