so what kind of a candidate do we need for 2012 ?
how do they have to be better ?
They have to address jobs and the economy.
The issue that didn't come up much in the MA election was terrorism, and Brown's position is the right one, too. But jobs and economy are always THE issues. I think Obama has so damaged the fantasy of healthcare for all that it'll hang around his neck like an anchor, and the Republican must have pro-growth, pro-capitalist positions, and have nothing to do with healthcare boondoggles--which leaves out Mitt Romney, for one.
He or she must also be prolife and promarriage, but if they're smart they'll look at not what Brown's positions were as much as how he presented himself.
I am not ashamed to say this was the first campaign since Reagan's which had me excited like it was Christmas morning when I was a kid. That came from the feeling that someone who was actually responsive to the desires of folks like me was about to win. I don't think he shares my views on abortion, but he was reasonable and fought for an exemption for those who oppose it--that's a lot better than the alternative.
Anyway, the key words are "economy," "security," and "communication" for our next candidate.