Ten Points (plus and extra one at no charge): The Definitive Brown Post-Mortem

Greetings, once again, Goomba Nation. Listen, real life doesn't permit me to dawdle, ruminate, explicate, excoriate, and motivate to the hilt at times like these. But please bear with me as I spit this out.

Here is what I see in the wake of Tuesday's Massachusetts' stunner:

1) All you pessimists, hand-wringers, "America is Finished!!", Chicken Little Crowd members, and such ... please be quiet and/or move to France, where you belong. Act like Americans, rather than little cats;

2) A happy-warrior campaign style that focuses like a laser-beam on core issues that resonate in the relevant race (usually no more than three) is charming and works like a charm, as well. Brown's campaign was straightforward and simple: a) Stop the health-care monstrosity in Congress; b) Open up the government to where the people can have input into how legislation is being made; and c) treat terrorists like terrorists. And the result of this perfectly-tailored message delivered happily to Mass.: Scoreboard;

3) See #1 and #2: We usually get what we expect in life ... so, get your heads up!;

4) The Tea Party movement has become a force and a great development. The TP has shown the savvy and smarts to rally around the best candidates who can win (yes, these will usually be Republicans), while simultaneously sticking their finger in the eye of establishment types in both major political parties;

5) Speaking of the perfect-church-we-gotta-find-a-new-party-or-something crowd, I see that Michael Savage and Glenn Beck both took shots at Scott Brown on the day after his historic victory. Savage pointed out that Brown may not be a pristine conservative: "Sorry, but he will disappoint some of you." Really? That would be odd ... a politician who might disappoint folks. And Beck took shots at Brown's posing nude in 1982 (during a time when Beck had his own slew of problems, mind you). Beck also, incredibly, criticized Brown for joking that his pretty daughters were "available". Beck said this was bad form -- he would never do such a thing (the horrah) -- and besides, "What would you expect from some one who would pose nude?" ... Wow, so much to say about this, I think I will give it a new number;

6) The sort of you-are-a-perfect-conservative-as-I-see-it-or-I'll-burn-you-at-the-stake conservatism practiced by Beck and Savage is, in the long-term ineffective and always unappealing. Such people are often yelling, chastizing, angry, lecturing, and such. Thus, they never become the fulcrum of the larger conservative movement that actually makes things happen. The judgmental moralism in Beck's statement (particularly considering the timing) is appalling. Beck, Savage and other such High-Minded Independents fancy themselves as the leaders of a great movement, too lofty for mere political parties or movements that are not bestowed from On High, as theirs clearly are. They are Legends in their Own Minds. Beck apparently thought the Tea Parties would become the Tea Party, presumably with him as President, or at least High Potentate of Moral Affairs, Ideological Perfection and Purchaser of Extra Cans of Soup When You Shop Because the World is Ending, Don't You Know?;

7) And re: #6, Massachusetts is not Texas, Virginia. That Scott Brown may not Texas's choice for Senator is not important. What is important that the best, viable candidate wins the election in question. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress;

8) We've spent the last year on the precipice politically. The Democrats have had the presidency, a huge majority in the House, and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and have only the "stimulus" to show for it. Meanwhile, Republicans got far more done previously with less support in Congress. What gives? America remains a center-right country;

9) Whatever happens, America is not a government. America has a government. So, act like conservatives. Nothing that Washington does can define our existence or limit who we are. The sky does not fall and the nation does not fundamentally change because of who is in Washington. It never will. It will only fundamentally change if Americans stop being Americans;

10) The Demo juggernaut in '09 was stopped by an engaged citizenry. Think about how close the Demos were. They tried to ram HCR through before the summer recess. Then, they went home and got an earful. They came back and twisted arms in the House and barely passed the "public option". Then, the Senate started its shenanigans, with each delay pushing the goal posts back. A few senators stood tall and stripped the public option, ultimately forcing a future compromise with the House (which had its own fragile coalition in place). Then, the backroom dealing, Cornhusker Kickbacks, and such went into high gear and support for the Demos and their plan collapsed and Brown soared in the polls. Here is the bottom line: Each day of fighting the good fight pushed the furiously-scrambling Demos one day closer to Jan. 19. Each delay forced, argument made, vote taken -- though they may have seemed futile at the time -- was part of this victory. Never, never, never give up fighting the good fight. Fighting for what you know to be right is a victory in and of itself. And if we do not faint, well, then sometimes the Lord allows us to rise up on the wings of eagles; and finally

11) The poetry and irony that was Brown's victory -- becoming the first Republican to win a Senate Seat in Mass. since 1972?, coming from 30 points down in the polls in a month, facing down the Mass. and Kennedy machines, forcing Obama to Boston, campaigning principally on being the 41st vote to stop Ted Kennedy's dream of universal health care, and then taking the very seat that Kennedy held right before the moment when the Demos had worked it all out to get health care to House and Senate negotiators to pass the greatest reduction in American freedom in a generation ... and doing all this with style, humor, and a pick-up truck -- you know, it almost makes you believe in God.

And if indeed He's there, well, then all things are possible.