Jonathan Bernstein counters Bainbridge:
Six months ago, people thought that Joe the Plumber was a Serious Republican Leader. Guess what? He wasn't. Scott Brown isn't Joe the Plumber; he's a perfectly legitimate pol who just won a Senate seat in a huge upset. Of course Republicans, a party that hasn't won very much lately, are all excited about him. This is neither new, nor remarkable, nor a sign that either party is about to turn to Paris Hilton for leadership. Plenty of things to worry about in American politics, but this ain't one of them.