Three Reasons to Vote for Scott Brown (R)
Share
I recently had the pleasure of spending an evening with WBZ News Radio’s Dan Rea. Arriving early, so I could spend some time with Dan during his pre-show prep, I was pleasantly surprised to find State Senator (and U.S. Senate hopeful) Scott Brown (R) waiting outside of the production booth. I spent the better part of the next hour chatting with him about a number of issues.
The Massachusetts primaries are next Tuesday, December 8th (Brown is running against fellow Republican and perpetual loser Jack E. Robinson. I would link to his campaign website, but his Wikipedia entry tells you everything you need to know.) As an unenrolled voter, I plan on taking a Republican ballot and checking the box for Brown. If you’re also unenrolled, or a registered Republican (yes, Massachusetts does have Republicans), here are three reasons why you should do the same.
He Listens
The primary responsibility of our elected officials is to serve their constituencies. Senator Ted Kennedy was among the best at this seemingly lost art. As a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and current member of the State Senate, Brown is no stranger with getting “up close and personal” with the people who put him in those positions.
His appearance on “Nightside” happened about 24 hours after President Obama announced his plans for a “troop surge” in Afghanistan. Predictably, he spent the first segment of the show discussing his own position on the issue. At the first commercial break, he took off his headphones, turned to me, and asked what I thought. He listened closely as I explained my position (which is the polar opposite of his) and acknowledged my points as I made them. I’d love to share specifics of the conversation, but I didn’t ask in advance if I could quote him and doing so without such permission would be tacky. Suffice it to say that he knows what he’s talking about (unlike most of our politicians who are painfully ignorant when it comes to anything beyond spouting their “talking points”), and he responded by making a convincing argument without belittling mine. It’s tough to imagine having the same conversation with John Kerry.
Military Service
Military service is not a prerequisite for elected office, nor should it be. However, we live in a day and age where the use of military force is, unfortunately, very common. As a consequence, I feel more comfortable knowing that the elected officials making these decisions have, themselves, served in our Armed Forces. Scott Brown has served honorably in the Massachusetts National Guard for almost thirty years and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. A graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School and decorated for meritorious service for homeland security in the wake of the September 11th attacks, I’m pretty confident that he wouldn’t send our troops to places where he wouldn’t be willing to go himself. Maybe this is a bigger deal for me than it is for you, but it seems that some of the biggest hawks today are elected officials who have never picked up a weapon or served a day in uniform. We need more soldier representation in the U.S. Senate.
One Party Rule is Killing Massachusetts
Last month, I attended the New England Business Expo and spent the entire day on the floor talking with exhibitors. The mood was cautiously optimistic until Democratic Governor Duval Patrick showed up and sucked the life out of the entire DCU Center. I won’t go so far as to blame all of our woes on the Democratic Party but, when you have a lock on just about every level of government in the Commonwealth, you have to accept the majority of the blame. This political monopoly needs to end. Massachusetts voters need to stop blindly following the same party that year after year, decade after decade, consistently fails them. Electing Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate certainly won’t solve our state or national problems overnight, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Sidenote: Brown’s complete biography and positions on the major issues can be found on his official campaign website. He has an interesting story and a talented family (his wife is WCVB TV’s Gail Huff, and one of his daughters is American Idol semi-finalist Ayla Brown).
Comments and criticism are welcome.
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.
mp | Dec 13, 2009 | Reply
Too bad he was recently interviewed by NECN (while building a house in Middleboro), and was essentially giving campaign speeches in ACUs.
I realize he may have been doing MAARNG community outreach on rebuilding homes for disabled veterans, but, as a lawyer, he should know that the RIGHT thing to do is tell the press “I’m sorry, no partisan discussion while I’m in uniform.”
PTAMomfromMaryland | Jan 3, 2010 | Reply
There are a couple of great articles on the potential of State Senator Brown winning the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race on Tues, Jan 19, 2010.
http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2009/12/31/can-republicans-win-ted-kennedys-senate-seat/
It would be a fabulous way to start the New Year … i.e. erase that 60th vote advantage that the Democratic Party currently is using to ignor the will of the American people.
I donated to State Senator Brown’s campaign right away and signed up to make phone calls for him.
Go Freedom, Go America, or as Michael Steele might say… “Win Baby Win”!
mp | Jan 13, 2010 | Reply
It’s a shame that a JAG officer in the MAARNG can’t follow DoD rules regarding campaigning in uniform.
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/diary/18278/is-lt-col-scott-brown-disobeying-a-military-order
Alan C | Jan 15, 2010 | Reply
I live in the land of fruits and nuts (Kalifornia) and I feel the pain of conservatives that live in a state ruled by liberals. That is why I have been actively canpaigning for Scott Brown and have donated money to his campaign. I feel we need to stop the unchecked advancement of the democrat party and force them to reach across the isle to work with conservatives and listen to the people who put them in office.
Scott, if you read this, I am chearing for you and I pray that you win big in Massachusetts..
Daniel Williams | Jan 17, 2010 | Reply
Coakley’s shameful culpability in the Amirault travesty alone is reason enough not to vote for her. She is a disgrace to the human race, and I don’t level that charge cavalierly.
What can Brown do for you, indeed…
Raul | Jan 20, 2010 | Reply
I am a Florida resident however I have followed Sen. Brown’s campaign and it is admirable they way that he came from behind to reach this astounding victory. He is definitely the immage of America and will make a wondeful President one day.
Operation Yellow Elephant | Jan 23, 2010 | Reply
Operation Yellow Elephant salutes Scott Brown’s service to our nation in the National Guard.
We wish that more Americans who aspire to leadership would serve in uniform themselves, even without having done a deployment.
All of that said, however, a JAG, especially, should know the rules re media interviews and campaigning in uniform. While a candidate, he should not have agreed to an interview during his National Guard service.