Lamar Smith: “The United States Senate special election in Massachusetts offers many lessons for both Democrats and Republicans.…”

“The United States Senate special election in Massachusetts offers many lessons for both Democrats and Republicans. Surely among them are these: All true reform starts with the voice of the people. Moderation beats extremism. Common sense triumphs partisanship. Voters can exercise real independence. One-party control leads to arrogance. There are few guaranteed election results. Listen to the people, don't defy them. Of course some will say there are no lessons to be learned or that the result of this special election should be ignored or can be explained away. But those who don't listen to the people, Democrats or Republicans, will pay a steep political price.”