Posture Politics

I'm trying to get my head around how Scott Brown won such an incredible victory in one of the bluest states in the country. And I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that he understood -- and won -- the game of posture politics.

Posture politics is the opposite of policy politics. Policy politics is what's practiced by Mike Bloomberg. And it's what's practiced by Barack Obama to a large extent. It takes a look at a problem, gets smart people in a room, and tries to think of the best way to solve the problem. Sometimes it's a government program. Sometimes it's a tax. Sometimes it's a regulation. Sometimes it's the private sector. And sometimes it's a mix of all four. Mike Bloomberg isn't a regular guy, doesn't drive a truck, and exudes the charisma of a blank Excel spreadsheet. And this year, one of the best mayors that New York has ever had came really close to losing. Why? He didn't play posture politics.

Posture politics is all about the message being sent, not the results being delivered. The message that Scott Brown sent was "No one is helping you, but you manage to get by. Why can't everyone make it on their own, the way you do?"

Massachusetts voters, and probably voters around the country, think the following: I can pay for my healthcare, and it costs a lot. Why shouldn't everyone bear my burden? When I screw up, I lose my job. Why don't politicians? When I owe more than I make, I have to cut my spending. Why does the government increase its spending? I work hard, pay high taxes, and I don't feel like I'm getting anything from it. But someone must be. Who's getting these handouts that I don't get?

In a lot of ways, this sentiment is understandable. It certainly resonates strongly with independent voters. Not only do independent voters feel like no one is helping them. They don't want to feel like anyone is helping them. They want to feel...independent.

This isn't governing. It's posturing. But I suspect that when neither party is offering a real way out of our current rut -- certainly no one believes that health care reform is going to turn the economy around -- the person who adopts this posture will win.

The key fact is, at this stage of the recession, with the Democrats having had a year to turn things around, no one believes that either party will improve our situation. So we're left with a certain kind of cynicism. The prevailing attitude is no longer hopefulness. Instead, the attitude is, "if it's gonna be tough for me, it better not be easy for anyone else."

Again, it's not a solution. It's a feeling. And in this race, Brown rode that feeling to the Senate.