Scott Brown really wants you to know he might run for Senate in New Hampshire
I'm Scott Brown. I drive a truck. And I hate ObamaCare.
Former Senator Scott Brown won a major upset victory in Massachusetts' 2010 special election by campaigning heavily against ObamaCare. And with the 2014 elections drawing near, he's raising speculation that he'll again run for a Senate seat — this time in New Hampshire — by, what else, railing against ObamaCare.
In a none-too-subtle Fox News op-ed Tuesday, Brown decried lawmakers' "hypocrisy and double standards," which he said were "prime reasons why Washington and the politicians that work there are held in such low regard."
"Nowhere is this more evident than in the implementation and implosion of ObamaCare," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The article specifically highlights New Hampshire's troubles under the law. And without naming New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D), who is up for reelection next year, it closes by bashing Democrats and warning of a looming "unpleasant experience for any incumbent having to explain their deciding vote and continued support for the ongoing disaster of ObamaCare."
The message, in sum: 1) ObamaCare is terrible — looking at you, New Hampshire, 2) Democrats are to blame, 3) You can punish those Democrats next year by voting for Republicans, such as myself.
The "Brown for New Hampshire" buzz has been kicking around since April, when Brown — who has a second house in the Granite State — deflected a question about whether he'd run by saying he was "not going to rule out anything." Since then, he has cozied up to the state's Republicans, appeared at GOP events, posed with Republican rising star Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), and resurfaced in the national media.
With the midterm elections now less than a year away though, he's seemingly leaning even further towards a Senate run.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
In October, Brown set up a New Hampshire-based political action committee. Over the weekend, he dropped the "MA" from his Twitter handle. (A new @SenScottBrownMA now redirects to the MA-less account.) And he's booked as the keynote speaker for the New Hampshire GOP's big holiday gala later this month.
National Republicans have urged Brown to run for the seat, and for one simple reason: He could win.
Brown would be the clear frontrunner in a GOP primary if he were to run. And more importantly, polls have shown him — and no other hypothetical candidates — running close behind Sheehan in a general election matchup.
Both parties expect ObamaCare to play a major role in the 2014 elections. If Republicans win the PR battle on that front, running Brown — whose national prominence was largely the result of his promises to fight against the health care law — would fit perfectly with that message, giving the GOP a good chance to pick off a Democratic seat.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'Sports executives ushered a fox into the henhouse'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published