In the last 24 hours, Mark Penn, Evan Bayh, and Joe Lieberman have fed the DC chattering class their lessons from Tuesday's Massachusetts election: Democrats must slow down change -- and run to the right to find swing voters.
This advice befits 3 men who each ran presidential campaigns into the ground. And today, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, and MoveOn.org have poll numbers to prove it. We polled Obama voters who either voted for Republican Scott Brown or stayed home -- here's what they said:
DEMOCRATS LEARNING WRONG LESSON FROM MASSACHUSETTS? EVEN SCOTT BROWN VOTERS WANT THE PUBLIC OPTION, WANT DEMOCRATS TO BE BOLDER
HEALTH CARE BILL OPPONENTS THINK IT "DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH"
- by 3 to 2 among Obama voters who voted for Brown
- by 6 to 1 among Obama voters who stayed home
(18% of Obama supporters who voted supported Brown.)
VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT THE PUBLIC OPTION
- 82% of Obama voters who voted for Brown
- 86% of Obama voters who stayed home
OBAMA VOTERS WANT DEMOCRATS TO BE BOLDER
- 57% of Brown voters say Obama "not delivering enough" on change he promised
- 49% to 37% among voters who stayed home
PLUS: Obama voters overwhelming want bold economic populism from Democrats in 2010. See more results here.
In the last 24 hours, over 100,000 people have signed this petition to Democratic leaders:
"The loss of Ted Kennedy's seat -- due to a lack of enthusiasm among Democrats and Independents -- sends a clear message to Congress. The Senate health care bill is not the change we were promised in 2008, and it must be improved. The Senate must use 'reconciliation' to pass a better bill with a strong public option."
You can sign it at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, or CREDO Action websites -- progressives are working together.
And we're making big waves. From today's Daily News article featuring this petition:
"Let’s do a public option, or let’s go back and do a single-payer plan," a frustrated senior Democrat told the [Daily News]. "You can have people say, ‘Look, if we’re going to do reconciliation, let’s get more, not get less.’"
"If you’re going to use reconciliation, then use it hard," the Democrat said, adding that it’s a serious option.
Amen! Let's be bold.
Two things you can do to help the cause today.
- If you know staffers in Congress or other Democratic insiders, send them today's big poll results.
- Sign the above petition at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, or CREDO Action websites.
Thanks so much.