Political incumbents of all stripes in danger

The election of Republican Scott Brown to the Massachusetts senate seat previously held by Democrat Ted Kennedy, should send shivers up and down the spine of all incumbents up for election this year.

In 2008,  after the excesses of the Republican administration, voters voted for change by electing  Barrack Obama to the presidency and giving the Democrats a super majority in congress.

But the change they asked for wasn’t to turn the country into European socialism but to work on issues in a bi-partisan way.   Obama promised that it wouldn’t be “business as usual” and that a new element of bi-partisanship would prevail.

But that promise wasn’t kept.  It was business as usual.  Only this time it was the Democrats running things instead of the Republicans.

Compromise and bi-partisanship has always been the hallmark of American democracy.  It’s been the only way major changes have occurred.   It was cooperation and bi-partisanship which approved the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.   Going back even further it was compromise and bi-partisanship which created Social Security and Medicare.

If  incumbents in congress can’t find a way to work cooperatively to assure that all sides of an issue are represented, then the people will send them packing and find candidates that can.

Voters are surly and angry and they’ll take it out on the incumbents this year just like they did in 2009.