Less philosophical, but equally poignant, businessman Robert Gallagher, remarked that “change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.”

And so it was Tuesday here in Massachusetts.  Not since 1972 has a Republican won a U.S. Senate seat in the State – and he was a brother.  For nearly half a century my late boss, Senator Ted Kennedy held this seat.  On Tuesday night (as we know), a Republican won a resounding victory to fill the late senator’s unexpired term.

(And may I add that I am sure Senator Kennedy is turning over in his grave right about now!)

Now, I’ve listened with great interest to a lot of the commentators who have tried to explain what happened.

On one end of the political spectrum, the Republicans are claiming that this election was a referendum on President Obama, the Democratic Party, and its agenda.

On the other end, the Democrats are saying that the democratic candidate, Martha Coakley, simply ran a bad campaign.

The truth is that both are right. And both are wrong.  Here’s why.

To be sure, Martha Coakley ran a really bad campaign.  She had a 30 point lead and squandered it.  She assumed that by winning the Democratic primary, the generals would be a cake walk. She took a month off – chilling in the Caribbean.

Well, you know how that vacation ended … Sybil, she’s no Stella and she may NEVER get her groove back.

It would be a mistake, though, to blame everything on Coakley.  The interviews of Obama voters who switched to the Republican in this race were shocking.

They said they didn’t like what was going on in Washington, and they were voting to send a message.  Their words . . . Not mine.

But it would also be a mistake to think that the Obama revolution is over.  Things change very quickly in politics and 2012 is a lifetime away.  And there is a lot that the President and Democrats can do to turn the tide

All indicators show that most of the Independent votes went to Republican Scott Brown on two issues: Health Care and Jobs.

The Democrats will be wise NOT to ignore the loud message that one of the most liberal states in the country sent to Washington.

So First, let’s talk about Health Care.  No matter what you think substantively about the health care debate, many polls show that nearly 60% of the American public are against the current bill.

They feel, rightly or wrongly, that Washington is shoving its policies down the throat of Joe Public – much the same way that Democrats and Independents felt under President Bush.

Now, the Democrats may feel that their version of health care is so important, so necessary, and so imminently needed that they are going to do it no matter what large chunks of the public may think.

…well let’s just say to stand on principle is noble.  But, in politics it comes at a price – a price that the Democrats must be willing to bear.

And, we saw that price on Tuesday.

Now, on to jobs.  People vote their pocket books.  Right or wrong, this economy belongs to the President and the Democrats.  Just as the President won the election, in large part, due to Bush’s inept Shepparding of the economy, the Democrats will be voted out of office if the economy doesn’t turn around.

Record numbers of people are broke.  Record numbers of people are out of work.  The Democrats cannot continue to say, “it’s Bush’s fault” even though it may be.  People want jobs.  People want to feed their children.  People want to stay in their homes.

As James Carville famously said, “It’s the economy stupid.”

So my advice to the Dems is to focus, like a laser beam, on the economy.  If people have J-O-B’s, the party in power is rewarded.  If people do not have J-O-B’s, the party in power is in trouble.

Political stars rise and fall with the economy.  This is as constant in politics as the sun rising in the East (or as constant as Romo chocking in a playoff game – all in fun, Tom).

It’s all about the Benjamins, Jay . . . (sing) money money money…

Until Next Time, this is Stephanie in Love and Hope.