The Hiller Instinct: Out Of Step With The Nation?

As President Bush claims a mandate from America for his second term, Massachusetts is like salmon swimming upstream...liberal Democrats fighting a conservative Republican current.

Nationally, while Republicans gained seats Tuesday in the U.S. House and Senate, Massachusetts voters returned an all-democratic delegation to congress, and increased the number of Democrats in the State House, too.

John Kerry proves the point. His liberal credentials and Massachusetts zip code made him an easy target in a national race:

President George W. Bush
"You know there's a mainstream of American politics and you sit on the far left bank. As a matter of fact, your record is such that Ted Kennedy, your colleague, is the conservative senator from Massachusetts."

Kennedy to Kerry. Those are the names that may mark the beginning and end of this state's liberal influence on the rest of the country.

JFK's election in 1960 made Massachusetts the center of American politics...and the Kennedy family symbolized the nation's idealistic dreams.

But, by 1988, the dream was already dying, when Democrats nominated Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis for president.

Then, another Bush used the "L"-word in a presidential debate:

Former President George Bush Sr.
"He's the one that said, "I am a liberal, traditional liberal, progressive liberal Democrat."

If any one word can explain this, it's values. America's have changed. While liberals, for example, still worry about mixing politics and religion, neither the nation nor the president appear to.

President George W. Bush
"I pray for strength, I pray for wisdom, I pray for our troops in harms way, I pray for may family."

So, John Kerry's legacy may be that he's the last Massachusetts liberal nominated for president for a long time. And when he conceded yesterday, he spoke for all the liberals in the state:

Sen. John Kerry, (D) Massachusetts
"I'm sorry that we got here a little bit late and a little bit short."

Massachusetts liberals, know thyself: you're out of the political mainstream...and in danger of becoming irrelevant. That may make you angry, and make you think the rest of America isn't very smart but this election said what the nation's answer would be, "you just don't get it."