I am proud to be from precinct 19 in Arlington – which voted 65% for Coakley and about 34% for Brown – with over 1000 voters voting.
At this point in time, though Scott Brown won, I do not have confidence in him but what kind of senator Scott Brown turns out to be is in Scott Brown’s hands, not mine or yours or even Precinct 19’s.
Ted Kennedy, without gloating or mean-spirited partisanship was a senator for the whole state with constituent services for all of Massachusetts and an eye on long term legislative goals, not partisan hatchetwork. A U.S. Senator can have a positive legacy of governance – or be a hack. What Senator Brown becomes or is will, in due course, be obvious to all and those who voted for him either will be glad they did so, or sorry. That, too is in Scott Brown’s hands, not mine.
I still believe that Martha Coakley would have been a great Senator with a legacy of intelligently crafted legislation that had a long term impact on governance.
As to that, the Serenity Prayer does not wear out: Serenity Prayer
So, I accept, with some help from meditation, that Scott Brown won and Martha Coakley lost. After all, it is as it is.
I will have the courage and tenacity to watch Scott Brown carefully in office. I will form my own opinion as to whether Scott Brown is effective, hard working, honest, and a positive influence on governance.
I will also be considering whom to support against Scott Brown in two years – starting tonight – if Scott Brown does not do a good job.
Tomorrow I will be in court, fighting for two clients and giving their cases my full attention and all the fight that is in me. Life goes on.
To all those with whom I held signs, phone banked, blogged, and who sought election for Martha Coakley, I have a poem to share as well as the reminder – there is always the next election.
POEM FOR CAMPAIGN WORKERS AFTER THE ELECTION IS OVER
Sunset
will not wait for us
but comes as scheduled, win or lose.
I know you will not wait
but go forward
into your lives
even though
there is always the next campaign.
Pausing, I look from face to face
and know
we will never be together again
in the same way.
Deborah Sirotkin Butler
