The Sandwich Democratic Town Committee

Note: Jim Walsh, Chair of the Nahant Democratic Town Committee, is a Guest Contributor to the Democratic Free Press and the author of this piece.

Many of us worked our tails off for Elizabeth Warren last year.  A smaller number of happy zealots started working on her even before that.  But, I am terribly concerned that if we Elizabeth Warren supporters do not work just as hard for the Democratic nominee in the coming months, our work and its success last year will be cancelled out by the re-emergence of Scott Brown this year.  We don’t want Senator Warren’s votes offset by the equal and opposite votes of a new Senator Brown.

As a Democratic Chair in a small town I find myself thinking of Robert Reich.  Ten years ago he was running for Governor of Massachusetts.  When we had our caucus in Nahant to choose delegates to the state nominating convention, suddenly, new faces appeared, folks who never before participated actively in our local caucus (though several were Town Meeting junkies).  They came to the caucus and made impassioned speeches in support of Secretary Reich.

At the time I was a Birmingham man.  Still am.  But it was impressive to see how much this “outsider” to statewide politics could motivate people to come out into the light of political participation.  But, as it happened, Reich’s campaign turned out to be a boom-let and, just as fast as these new participants appeared, they disappeared.  The adrenalin rush dissipated and we who drudge on in these things were deprived of their company and enthusiasm.  Will the same thing happen with Warren workers and supporters in this Special Election?  They’ve done their job and elected the charismatic Ms. Warren.  Now they can just relax and go about their business.  No other campaign could match that high.

It is not enough to win just one election, especially in 2013.  I am as tired as everyone else but if we relax now it would be like relaxing on the fourth lap of a four lap race.  We won for President Obama.  We won for Senator Warren.  In our district (with exquisite sweetness) we won for Congressman John Tierney.  The fourth lap is coming up.

How important is this race? There is very good reason to believe that President Obama will fill up to four Supreme Court vacancies, including Scott Brown’s favorite, Antonin Scalia.  My guess is that at least one, maybe two, of these retirements from the Court could be announced at the end of this term.  Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Antonin Scalia might walk off together, hand-in-hand, and spend the rest of their lives enjoying opera together as they do at present (with Scalia always rooting for the villain).  The more likely scenario would be that Ginsberg and Anthony Kennedy will leave in that order.

Although in the Senate a majority of those voting is required for confirmation, it is not out of the question that President Obama’s nominee, whoever he or she might be, could be scuttled by a Republican filibuster.  It’s been done.  Therefore, the election of every single Democratic Senator is as important now as it was in the last election, even more so.  The fact is that the eyes of the nation will again be on Massachusetts.  We have some momentum coming out of last November but that could all change if Brown is re-elected.  In the minds of the McConnells and Cantors of the world, a Brown victory would justify their continued intransigence.

Do we really think the national Republican Party is fast asleep?  Are they blissfully unaware that in June the only electoral show in the country will be right here in Massachusetts?  Will they be too busy getting ready for Country Club Opening Day to realize that the difference between a successful and a failed filibuster attempt to block Ralph Nader’s or Raul Castro’s appointment to the Supreme Court is on the line?  Actually, Sheldon Adelson and the Koch Brothers will likely find the time to fund some negative ads.  The militantly fearful right wing base, smarting from recent losses, will forgive Scott his sins and roll up their sleeves as they did in January 2010.  Where do we think the NRA will be (that’s the National Rifle Association)?

By the time the new Senator is elected the most gruesome part of the fiscal cliff/debt limit debate will probably be over. We cannot depend on the Republicans shooting themselves in the foot.  We also cannot depend on our Democratic candidate to run a flawless campaign.  The real question is: Can we depend on ourselves to organize with the intelligence and fervor necessary to keep this Senate seat?