Republican candidate Scott Brown won the special senatorial election in Massachusetts Jan. 19 because President Obama’s health care reform has caused independents to lean toward the right.
The Democratic turnout for the recent election was not unlike previous Democratic turnouts for senatorial elections in Massachusetts. Sources who claim that Democrats did not show up to the polls are comparing the recent election to the presidential election of 2008, which had a larger voter turnout in general, according to Massachusetts Election Division.
While comparing Democratic turnout in a presidential election to that of a senatorial election proves nothing in the way of turnout trends, what it does prove is a shift in political idealism.
Massachusetts has a large number of independents—in fact, since 1990, Massachusetts has had more independent voters than registered Democrats or Republicans, according to the Massachusetts Election Division. Exit polls show that the independent vote swung Republican for the first time since 1979 (the last time the GOP won a Senate seat).
Especially in light of the struggling economy, conservative ideals are attractive in tight fiscal situations. People find it natural to want to save up and buckle down in hard times—and Obama’s health care plan doesn’t exactly fit that bill.
Furthermore, the hype surrounding the reform has moderates pushing back.
The allegations that the plan would fund abortions, or force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions; that the plan will cost each individual so much money the country will never recover economically; the scare tactics of comparing the health care plan to socialism; reports that accuse Obama’s health care plan of not covering important exams: All of these allegations remain unfounded and disproven, yet effective in startling people into submission.
Though the economy is pulling out of recession, as stated by the Federal Reserve Committee, and jobs are on the rebound in places like Massachusetts, which are heavy in industrial job positions, the shift is hard to see.
Independents are proving to be an unpredictable force in politics. Not voting with party lines means that voters can be more influential. Because of the inability of the Democratic party to represent itself during the introduction of health care reform, senatorial votes that could be depended on are now the very tool Republicans will use to squelch Obama’s plan altogether.
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