Brown's claims of moderation and independence, and the age-old mantra of "fiscally conservative, socially moderate," proved to be insufficient to inoculate local Republicans from the national brand.
Tisei says the national GOP needs to change — but that might be a long time coming.
What might be needed is for party leaders like Brown and Baker to articulate, in the course of high-profile campaigns, a new governing philosophy that defines today's Massachusetts Republicans.
That's what Bill Weld did in 1990, in leading the party back from its 1986 nadir.
But that can't happen if those leaders decide not to campaign against what they see as mathematically impossible odds. If that turns out to be the legacy of the 2012 elections, the MassGOP might really be buried for quite some time.
>>DBERNSTEIN[a]PHX.COM :: @DBERNSTEIN
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Split atop the RI Tea Party, Starting to clear Maine’s broadband backlog, The next Scott Brown?, More 
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The Rhode Island Tea Party, a right-wing assemblage best known for its tax day rally against government spending on the State House steps, was until recently run by three women — Colleen Conley, Marina Peterson and, to a lesser degree, Nan Hayden. But no more.
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The biggest obstacle between Mainers and more, better, faster broadband Internet access is actually a very basic one: there's a lack of information about what kind of Internet service is already available where.
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Massachusetts Republican candidates for office this November might be well-advised to legally change their names and appear on the ballot as “Someone Else,” “Another Option,” or “Available Alternative.”
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I’m scrubbing my armpits in the campground bathroom at Fort Hunt Park in Virginia. It’s taken more than 20 hours for me to get here for today’s firearm-friendly Restore the Constitution rally, which is supposed to commence shortly.
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Just kidding. Of course they’ll lose.
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- Less
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Talking Politics
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