Research Briefing

David Gergen: “This will be the vote heard around the world.”  (CNN’s “Larry King Live,” 12/19/10)

“‘My message to my clients? Jump ship now,’ said one Democratic operative who advises a number of targeted Members of Congress. ‘Obama can't help you.’” (Chris Cillizza, “Scott Brown Wins Massachusetts Senate Special Election Race,” The Washington Post, 1/19/10)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY): “If there isn't any recognition that we got the message and we are trying to recalibrate and do things differently, we are not only going to risk looking ignorant but arrogant.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “Weiner: Dems Should Take A Step Back From Health Care,” Politico, 1/19/10)

• Rep. Weiner: “When you start to see large numbers of independent voters say we don't like it and you have large number of pregressives who feel a lot of the basic things they were in it for, it is not a very successful formula for us.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “Weiner: Dems Should Take A Step Back From Health Care,” Politico, 1/19/10) 

• Rep. Weiner: "I don't think it would be the worst thing to take a step back and say we are going to pivot to do a jobs things …” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “Weiner: Dems Should Take A Step Back From Health Care,” Politico, 1/19/10)

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN): “There’s going to be a tendency on the part of our people to be in denial about all this… if you lose Massachusetts and that’s not a wake-up call, there’s no hope of waking up.” (Jonathan Karl, “Bayh Warns "Catastrophe" If Dems Ignore Massachusetts Senate Race Lessons,” ABC News, 1/19/10)

• Sen. Bayh: “It’s why moderates and independents even in a state as Democratic as Massachusetts just aren’t buying our message … They just don’t believe the answers we are currently proposing are solving their problems.” (Jonathan Karl, “Bayh Warns "Catastrophe" If Dems Ignore Massachusetts Senate Race Lessons,” ABC News, 1/19/10)

• Sen. Bayh: “Whenever you have just the furthest left elements of the Dem party attempting to impose their will on the rest of the country -- that’s not going to work too well.” (Jonathan Karl, “Bayh Warns "Catastrophe" If Dems Ignore Massachusetts Senate Race Lessons,” ABC News, 1/19/10)

Howard Dean: “It was a backlash against Washington ...” (MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, 1/19/10)

Dean: “This is an example of what can happen if you are not real clear about your message. Scott Brown was real clear about his message tonight.” (MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, 1/19/10)

Gloria Borger: “But Scott brown campaigned by saying he wanted to be the vote to kill health care reform in the United States Senate. And he won.” (CNN’s “Larry King Live,” 12/19/10)

Bloomberg’s Margaret Carlson: “In Massachusetts, Voters Saw What Obama Is Doing And Went Out To Stop It.” (Margaret Carlson, “True-Blue Massachusetts Is Red Alert To Obama: Margaret Carlson,” Bloomberg, 1/19/10)

Princeton Historian Julian Zelizer: "There is nothing like winning in politics to get a party motivated for another election.” (James Oliphant and Mark Z. Barabak, “Republican Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat,” Los Angeles Times, 1/19/10)

• Zelizer: “As Republicans turn to 2010, there will be more people willing to part with their dollars for Republican candidates and more people to run as members of a party that just one year ago seemed dead in the water.” (James Oliphant and Mark Z. Barabak, “Republican Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat,” Los Angeles Times, 1/19/10)

The Nation’s Beat Blog: “Coakley Loses -- And So Does Obama” (John Nichols, The Nation’s Beat Blog, 1/19/10)

• The Nation: “Democrat Martha Coakley loss to Republican Scott Brown in Tuesday's voting was a painful blow to the president.” (John Nichols, “Coakley Loses -- And So Does Obama,” The Nation’s Beat Blog, 1/19/10) 

• The Nation: “Obama and his aides need to take seriously the wake-up call they got from Massachusetts.” (John Nichols, “Coakley Loses -- And So Does Obama,” The Nation’s Beat Blog, 1/19/10)

The Associated Press: “GOP's Brown Wins Mass. Senate Seat In Epic Upset” (Glen Johnson & Liz Sidoti, The Associated Press, 1/19/10)

• AP: “In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in a U.S. Senate election Tuesday that left President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in doubt and marred the end of his first year in office.” (Glen Johnson & Liz Sidoti, “GOP's Brown Wins Mass. Senate Seat In Epic Upset,” The Associated Press, 1/19/10)

• AP: “The election transformed reliably Democratic Massachusetts into a battleground state.” (Glen Johnson And Liz Sidoti, “Suddenly Close Mass. Race Threatens National Dems,” The Associated Press, 1/19/10)

• AP: “Kennedy's GOP heir wins as truck-driving everyman” (Glen Johnson, The Associated Press, 1/19/10)

The Washington Post Chris Cillizza: “While it is a historic win within Massachusetts, the implications of Brown's victory for the national political scene are even more critical.” (Chris Cillizza, “Scott Brown Wins Massachusetts Senate Special Election Race,” The Washington Post, 1/19/10)

• Cillizza: “The narrative of the past few months has been a difficult one for Democrats ...” (Chris Cillizza, “Special election day in Massachusetts,” The Washington Post, 1/19/10)

• Cillizza: “If Brown Manages To Win, Expect Democrats To Quickly Dismiss The Loss As An Outlier Due To Coakley’s Substandard Campaign. But, Privately, Something Close To Panic May Well Set In …” (Chris Cillizza, “What Massachusetts Can Tell Us About The Midterms,” The Washington Post’s The Fix, The Washington Post, Posted 1/13/10)

Politico: “The Fallout: Democrats Rethinking Health Care Bill” (Carrie Budoff Brown & Patrick O'Connor, Politico, 1/19/10)

• Politico: “Republican Scott Brown’s upset win in Massachusetts threatened to derail hopes of passing a health reform bill this year, as the White House and Democratic leaders faced growing resistance Tuesday night from rank-and-file members to pressing ahead quickly with a bill following the Bay State backlash.” (Carrie Budoff Brown & Patrick O'Connor, “The Fallout: Democrats Rethinking Health Care Bill” Politico, 1/19/10)

“Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) said he was ‘sure’ that the outcome in Massachusetts will ‘determine the fate of health care.’” (Marty Kady, “Clay: Election will ‘determine the fate of health care,’” Politico, 1/19/10)

The Los Angeles Times: “[Brown] appealed to moderate Democrats and independents, pledging to block the congressional healthcare bill by providing Senate Republicans with the 41st vote needed to sustain a filibuster.” (James Oliphant, “Senate race in Massachusetts comes down to wire,” The Los Angeles Times, 1/19/10)

Politico’s Jonathan Martin: “[F]or [Republicans] to capture Kennedy’s seat, scoring a victory in a bulwark of the Democratic establishment, would illustrate the potential gains they could make this fall and send a resounding message that no seat is safe.” (Jonathan Martin, “Stars converge on political Hub,” Politico, 1/15/10)

WSJ’s Gerald Seib: “Jobs, Health Care, Mistakes Created Toxic Political Climate” (Gerald Seib, The Wall Street Journal, 1/19/10)

Newsweek’s Elanor Clift: “Democrat Martha Coakley has rung the alarm bells, telling Democratic donors in a conference call arranged by DNC chair Tim Kaine that it’s ‘frightening how much traction’ her opponent, Republican Scott Brown, has been able to get in just the last week.” (Eleanor Clift, “Massachusetts Senate Race No Slam Dunk For Democrats,” Newsweek’s The Gaggle, Newsweek's The Gaggle Blog,, Posted 1/13/10)

The Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne: “Yes, It Will Be An Ugly Time For Democrats If Coakley Loses.” (E.J. Dionne, Op-Ed, “Precriminations In Massachusetts Senate Race,” The Washington Post, 1/19/10)

Talking Points Memo: “Health Care Comes To Screeching Halt: Sen. Webb: No HCR Votes Until Brown Seated” (Christian Bellantoni, Talking Points Memo, 1/19/10)

Atlanta Journal Constitution Op-Ed: “Among Democrats, The Finger-Pointing Has Already Begun Over What Is Shaping Up To Be A Catastrophic Loss In Massachusetts.” (Cynthia Tucker, Op-Ed, “Obama Deserves Blame, Too, Over Senate Race,” The Atlanta Journal Constitution, 1/19/10)

Roll Call: “Brown Wins Huge Upset in Massachusetts” (Lauren Whittington, Roll Call, 1/19/10)

• Roll Call: “Brown’s victory, which is likely to be viewed as one of the biggest political upsets of all time, will strip Senate Democrats of their 60-seat supermajority when Brown is sworn in.” (Lauren Whittington, “Brown Wins Huge Upset in Massachusetts,” Roll Call, 1/19/10)

National Journal: “In the last week, Dems sent reinforcements to MA, including top communications and political strategists, as well as surrogates like ex-Pres. Bill Clinton. On Sunday, Pres. Obama himself made an appearance, though it failed to motivate enough Dems to push Coakley over the top.” (Reid Wilson, “Brown Wins, Robs Dems Of Filibuster-Proof Majority,” National Journal, 1/19/10)

• NJ: “[T]he loss is a serious blow to Dems. Several aides said they worry the defeat could drive other members concerned for their own re-election campaigns to retire, setting off a wave that would give GOPers new opportunities for pickups around the country.” (Reid Wilson, “Brown Wins, Robs Dems Of Filibuster-Proof Majority,” National Journal, 1/19/10)

Los Angeles Times: “The defeat of state Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley … is likely to have broad political ramifications, none of them good for Democrats.” (James Oliphant and Mark Z. Barabak, “Republican Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat,” Los Angeles Times, 1/19/10)

• LAT: “In a stunning blow to Democrats, Republican Scott Brown ended the party's half-century grip on the Senate seat once held by Edward M. Kennedy, coming from nowhere to give the GOP the crucial 41st vote that could thwart President Obama and his agenda, starting with healthcare.” (James Oliphant and Mark Z. Barabak, “Republican Wins Massachusetts Senate Seat,” Los Angeles Times, 1/19/10)

Obama Voter George On Why He Voted For Brown: “I wanted to send a message. I’m a lifelong Democrat.  I think they've been trying to shove this bill and this health care bill right down our throats.” (FNC’s Hannity, 1/19/10)

Obama Voter Robert On Why He Voted For Brown: “Growing dynamic of a growing public sector funded by a shrinking private sector and the health care bill only exacerbates that.” (FNC’s Hannity, 1/19/10)

Focus Group Member On Message Sent By Vote For Brown: “Kill health care [bill].  There is nothing wrong with our system, it needs improvement but it is a good system.” (FNC’s Hannity, 1/19/10)

Focus Group Member Alex: “I’m a physician in this state, I could tell you many physicians are angry at what the Obama health care has been doing. There’s no malpractice reform in there at all. There’s nothing that changes the Medicare fix for physicians. If he's going to have a public health option that is modeled as well, that’s modeled after the Medicare model, we are in big trouble.” (FNC’s Hannity, 1/19/10)