Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Upsetting Conventional Wisdom

Nothing gets my goat more than telling me something is impossible.

Want to get me fired up? Talk to me about conventional wisdom.

It used to be conventional wisdom that a Republican candidate would not win a U.S. Senate seat from the Democrats' stronghold of Massachusetts.

Tuesday night, that sentiment was turned on its head by the election of that "little-known state senator" Scott Brown.

I did not sufficiently study the positions of Senator Brown or his opponent to have a truly informed opinion of the race. And, as native Pennsylvanian who lives in Manhattan, my recommendation would not have been very consequential.

But, I do know this:

No one political party should dominate any state's government for decades.

No legislative seat should ever be "safe."

No race should ever be a sure bet.

What occurred Tuesday in Massachusetts was healthy for representative democracy -- both for the Bay State and the nation. We need to keep the political class guessing.

The photo above of Boston's Old North Church is from Sam.


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