Huffpo Report: Warren surges against Brown

It is too early to predict 2012 outcomes, of course, but I think the fact that Elizabeth Warren is already showing a slight lead over incumbent Sen. Scott Brown in Mass. is encouraging and indicative. See this. Considering that he is considered personable and photogenic, while she is seen as wonkish, and has minimal name recognition among the general public, even in Mass., this is actually quite remarkable in such a short period of time.

What it indicates, and will indicate more definitively if she develops a strong and persisting lead, as I believe she will, is that Democrats who clearly state Core Democratic Principles will do well, and, in fact outperform those who are too ready to compromise those principles for some imagined (although in the end mostly non-performing) political expediency. Polling in Wisconsin and Ohio, where significant battles over public employee collective bargaining have garnered too little attention from national Democratic figures, have also shown this trend: those who strongly support traditional Democratic issues like protecting Social Security and Medicare, increasing taxes on the very rich, and protecting collective bargaining, outpoll "New Democrat" types by as much as 10%.

I see some signs that in recent weeks President Obama is starting to take this lesson to heart; I certainly hope and pray that this is the case. Because I am completely convinced that this is the road to victory, not only for the President, but for Democrats challenging Republicans for House and Senate seats, as well as Democrats defending House and Senate seats.