Remember the truck!

They scheduled a coronation in Massachusetts and, against all odds, a campaign broke out. They took away the governor’s power of appointment to foil Mitt Romney in the event that John Kerry was elected president in 2004. Thank you, Democrats of Massachusetts. Life is funny that way, and so therefore is politics, every once in a while.
Scott Brown is the man of the hour. With coolness and perspicacity, he has given voice to the present discontents and sober second thoughts of his fellow citizens. By staking his candidacy on opposition to the Democratic agenda, to one party rule, to the insane national security policy that passes as the higher wisdom in the Obama administration, and to the arrogance of the elite leaders who brook no offense to their majesty, he has contributed to the tidal wave he is riding.
In doing so he has displayed grace under pressure. When moderator and twit for all seasons David Gergen came at Brown with a haymaker in the debate last week, Brown landed a telling blow of his own, and not just against Gergen. Brown’s renaming of “the Kennedy seat” as “the people’s seat” will survive this campaign whether he wins or loses.
Brown has the common touch. It is symbolized by his truck. He has toured Massachusetts in a 2005 GMC Canyon pickup truck with almost 200,000 miles on the odometer. USA Today notes: “He features the truck in his campaign ads to show he is an everyman in touch with blue-collar and independent voters.”
George Burns is reputed to have said that sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. But how about the common touch? As Martha Coakley has demonstrated, it’s tough to fake.
There’s something about that truck. How many times did Obama mention it in his speech at Coakley’s rally in Boston at Northeastern on Sunday? I think the over/under is 15. With that truck Brown got inside Obama’s head like a trash talking football stud running down his opponent’s mama to throw him off his game.
“He’s driving his truck around the commonwealth and he says that he gets you,” Obama said of Brown at the rally. “Everybody can run slick games,” he added. “Forget the truck. Anybody can buy a truck.”
In a campaign that has contributed a lot of memorable quotes, Obama’s late entry should not be ignored. Remember the truck! If you’re registered to vote in Massachusetts, and if you have a message to deliver, don’t forget to vote either.

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