Saturday, January 23, 2010
Is Brown the next Duke, Tsongas, Kerry and Romney?
Peggy Noonan called it: The national ‘Congressional Vampires’ are already starting to claim Scott Brown as their own. You should have seen Monica Crowley and Pat Buchanan gushing over Brown last night on the McLaughlin Group, proclaiming him as the new Republican superstar, ranking him a ‘9’ on the GOP star charts, touting him as presidential material and I kept thinking, ‘He’s toast in Massachusetts if he goes down this road.’ … I hope he doesn’t go down the D.C.-celebrity road, jetting off to GOP fundraisers and rallies all around the nation. I don’t think he will. He seems well grounded. But he’s in a different world when he’s in Washington, and the temptations and pressures on him to conform and give in will be great. One of Brown’s aides, mindful of the reaction of fickle Massachusetts Independents in two and a half years, should be ripping up plane tickets that don’t read “Logan-Reagan National - round-trip.” …
As for the headline, they’re handy local reminders why Brown shouldn’t go down the constant-campaign road: Duke, ’88; Tsongas, ’92; Kerry, ’04 and Romney, ’08.* One might as well add Weld and Cellucci to the list, if you’re counting all the annoying Massachusetts pols who mentally checked out early on us. There’s always the chance Deval may yet land on the list, somewhat involuntarily.
* Doesn't include 'Kennedy, '80.' He was in a Camelot league all his own, though he technically could be included on the list.
Peggy Noonan called it: The national ‘Congressional Vampires’ are already starting to claim Scott Brown as their own. You should have seen Monica Crowley and Pat Buchanan gushing over Brown last night on the McLaughlin Group, proclaiming him as the new Republican superstar, ranking him a ‘9’ on the GOP star charts, touting him as presidential material and I kept thinking, ‘He’s toast in Massachusetts if he goes down this road.’ … I hope he doesn’t go down the D.C.-celebrity road, jetting off to GOP fundraisers and rallies all around the nation. I don’t think he will. He seems well grounded. But he’s in a different world when he’s in Washington, and the temptations and pressures on him to conform and give in will be great. One of Brown’s aides, mindful of the reaction of fickle Massachusetts Independents in two and a half years, should be ripping up plane tickets that don’t read “Logan-Reagan National - round-trip.” …
As for the headline, they’re handy local reminders why Brown shouldn’t go down the constant-campaign road: Duke, ’88; Tsongas, ’92; Kerry, ’04 and Romney, ’08.* One might as well add Weld and Cellucci to the list, if you’re counting all the annoying Massachusetts pols who mentally checked out early on us. There’s always the chance Deval may yet land on the list, somewhat involuntarily.
* Doesn't include 'Kennedy, '80.' He was in a Camelot league all his own, though he technically could be included on the list.
