“Only about 100,000 votes separated the winner from the loser, and the outcome was to increase the minority party in the senate by just one vote — from 40 to 41. Nonetheless, this week’s election in Massachusetts has been declared a repudiation of Barack Obama and a resurrection for Republicans. But I checked just before this broadcast, and Democrats still controlled the White House, still had a 78 vote majority in the house, and 59 of the 100 members of the Senate. But from all the spin this week, you could imagine there had been a coup in our nations Capitol — a tea party to beat all tea parties. No doubt about it, the pundits said — people have spoken — 100,000 of them, at least — and America is red again.”

- Bill Moyers, 1/22/10

A difference of 100,000 people is not mobilizing the potential college students who could vote for you in Massachusetts. (Bad candidate!) Or making people hate you for a variety of reasons, the most superficial including something that the papers harped on, calling a Red Sox “hero” (good for you, Schilling, you can pitch a ball. I wouldn’t want to be stuck with you in an elevator.) a “Yankees fan,” which sounds to me like a joke gone bad, and exactly the thing that newspapers/tv would harp on.

This is still pretty heartbreaking to me.

I would like it, however, if Democrats were on top of the spin. For example: this does seem to be mobilizing Obama, somewhat.

The other question: so you lost your supermajority. Fine. DEAL with a filibuster and beat that too. God.