My radio station in Boston has been non-stop on the Brown/Coakley race for weeks. Three of our hosts are pro-Brown, two pro-Coakley. We were broadcasting from our own victory rally tonight in Braintree, Mass., at the very moment Scott Brown got the concession call from Coakley. He joined us on the air almost immediately to share the good news.
The crowd of several hundred, packed into a room designed for half their number, exploded. Having not been in Boston when they broke the Curse, I can only speculate, but it must have been a similar moment. The crowd wouldn’t let Senator Brown speak. The cheering, clapping and crying wouldn’t stop. All Senator Brown could say was “I really can’t hear anything, but I’ll speak to all of you soon.”
For at least five minutes, we stood looking at each other in disbelief. Some people kept looking at the TV looking for confirmation from AP. Could it be true?
Finally it sank in. The cheering began to subside, and then came the cry: “Who’s next?”
Another roar, and then came the names: Kerry, Frank, and loudest of all Gov. Deval Patrick.
These people have had their first taste of political success in a long time. They feel hope again, for the first time in years. And they’re spoilin’ for another brawl in the Bay State.
Since I’m on a roll with predictions, let me make one more: Governor Patrick does not run for re-election. Massachusetts will elect one Republican congressman.
For taxpayers and typical Massachusetts citizens, this moment has a dreamlike quality.
For Massachusetts liberals, the nightmare is just beginning.