The narrowing and possible elimination of Martha Coakley’s lead in even Democratic polls shows that the discontent felt by bread-and-butter voters is real. While the jobless rate is holding at ten percent nationally, indications are that this is due to more would-be laborers giving up on trying to find work rather than on anything the government has done to date. If, as the Democratic National Committee Chairman says, Democrats are not taking the Massachusetts special election for granted, then few other than economic issues can explain Scott Brown’s poll numbers.

As in the gubernatorial contests last November, Independents are fueling the success of the Republican candidacy. However, as a rule, the GOP brand remains unpopular thus far with too many outside of the party. With this in mind, party leaders must focus their attention not on rigid issues of social policy in planning for the November midterms, but rather in dealing with the economic concerns of the electorate. Indeed, instead of tackling job growth, the present admininistration in the seat of our federal union has focused continuously on its ideologically-driven policy goals rather than tackle the immediacy of the sagging economy.

The reform of health insurance access and delivery is an important goal. However, a populace out of work is one which cannot be expected to pay the taxes necessary to carry on the ever-increasing functions of government. While it is true that President Obama inherited a recession, he can act to mitigate its effects. The Democrats did pass, and President Obama did sign, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, it failed in its basic aims of job creation and reducing unemployment. The Obama approach to tackling the economy has not worked. However, Republicans must provide a clear alternative if GOP candidates are to succeed in the congressional races this year.

John McCain was hurt in the presidential race less than two years ago by failing to offer an actual economic plan. The electorate knew what McCain opposed, but not what he favored. To President Obama’s credit, he gave an indication of what his approach to the economy would be, even if he was for some ideas before being against them. Conservatives were broadly against the Bush bailout. Obama supported that bailout, and enacted more of his own as president. From McCain in 2008 came a bold pledge to temporarily suspend campaigning to offer a better proposal, and then he failed to devise one. The esteemed senior senator from Arizona, who has since losing the presidential election, emerged as an important leader in the Republican Party, might be in the oval office today had he offered a real contrast on the campaign trail.

Whether it will ultimately succeed or not, this is an area in which the Scott Brown for U.S. Senate campaign has been successful. Within and beyond the locally-televised debates, Brown has offered up sound policy proposals which he feels would address the economic recession in the United States presently. Coakley, like McCain, has presented herself as a good person. Like McCain, she may well be a fundamentally good person. However, as the change agent-in-chief has made apparent over the last year, being intelligent or interesting is not as important as the capacity to tackle big problems.

What made Obama successful in the 2008 election weren’t the racist factors alluded to by the Senate Democratic Leader, but rather his ability to give the impression that he was a broad-minded leader who had pragmatic solutions to large problems. Conservatives weren’t wrong to portray candidate Obama as a celebrity per se; where they went wrong was in challenging him effectively on policy. It was policy ideas, not dissatisfaction with or disdain for Democrats that made Newt Gingrich Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Whether successful or not, the Brown campaign should remind Republicans going forward of the importance of both the moment, and the need to offer an alternative rather than meer opposition in the legislative process.

Last 5 posts by James Kane

• In Defense of Michael Steele - July 9th, 2010
• McDonald and Kagan - July 2nd, 2010
• The Petraeus Dilemma. - June 23rd, 2010
• On Paul and Blumenthal - May 22nd, 2010
• Lessons from Arizona - May 12th, 2010