How do we know that Tuesdays election was a rejection of the Democratic position, health care etc. and a mandate for the Republician opposition?

It’s spin, son. Spin. The first one who gets his opinion out there wins. The data don’t matter. It’s a great country, in’it?

I feel the PEOPLE spoke not the political parties.

I actually think the people in MA voted for the person they liked most, not because of health care or any other issue. I also agree with john oliver, demacrates up there are “wicked retahded”. Deffinatly could have run a better campaign

I think that it was an indication of dissatisfaction with the slow pace of economic recovery.

Hey, in this country we’re all about change – we don’t care what direction it’s in.

So is anybody doing a fair job of polling MA in order to find out why people voted the way they did before coming to a conclusion?

@Marina @Flo_Nightengale : and how do we Know this? I could just as easily say that they voted for him because he is cute, or because he drove a pick up, or because their rice crispies Told them to. It strikes me as a lot of interpretation with no data to back it up.

@hiphiphopflipflapflop Obviously not, as they were making these assumptions before the election.

I am basing it on how I feel about things, although it would not make me vote for a Republican.

I am basing it on what I read about what people are saying about national issues.

@Marina “I am basing it on what I read about what people are saying about national issues” . and where are they getting their data? How do they Know what people are saying?

People are saying things on CNN Headline News and other news outlets. They are writing letters to the editor about economic issues. They are quoted in newspapers and on the Web all the time.

“As long as people are so worried about their careers, retirement, mortgage, credit card rates, etc. it is almost impossible to think about any of the other problems. Health care can be considered part of the economic problem when you discuss the issues of losing health care when you lose your job, or the inability to afford needed drugs and treatments due to job lose or benefit cuts.”
Kathy J., Tarpon Springs, FL

“The economy is absolutely the most critical problem for the administration to focus on because it impacts almost everyone. Trying to do too much in too many areas only dilute the administration’s effectiveness and the public will not see results quick enough.”
Benjamin C., Castle Rock, CO

These examples were taken from this site.

@Marina No offense but I question the reliability of that site.

It is usually the extremists who write letters and such, and this is not a valid sampling of the population. Also, the sampling is not limited to MA so it really doesn’t address the election. Lastly, I question the journalistic integrity of the site… looks a bit to the right….Walmart banner ad and all, and posting letters that express “strong” feelings generally get published because they’re exciting.
Nothing in it tells why the voters on MA voted as they did, so attributing a motive without something to back it up is pointless.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

@Rude_Bear Apt name.

You would think each party would be sponsoring polling in order to try and come to an objective answer to these questions, even if they don’t make the analysis public in the case that it conflicts with what they want to spin.

One reason to believe it is because Brown spoke constantly about his intention to vote against the health care bill. He made it a major issue.

Another reason to believe it is because the President’s press secretary says that it isn’t true.

I don’t know that it is true but it does seem pretty likely.

On the other hand, it was one election for one office.
So the Democrats only have a 59 to 41 majority.
Does anyone count them out? Anyone that matters?

The only way to really know what the people had in mind is to ask them, and the polls are trying to do just that. There is no indication that the end result had much to do with that, other than the excessive spending by the groups that oppose the Obama Health plan.

@Marina : My dear, if you took offense at anything I wrote, you must have the thinnest skin in recorded history.

@Rude_Bear You ask for sources and then you denigrate the sources in a very rude manner, hence “apt name”.

I said I question the source. I do. It’s not reliable, it’s data is questionable, and it doesn’t apply to the question at hand. As a source it’s useless.
I’m sorry you find the truth offensive. Life must be very difficult for you.