David Frum sings the blues over healthcare defeat

While many Americans, not to mention most people in other developed countries, see yesterday's health care vote as a step into the modern world, the infamous (and, sadly, Canadian-born) right wing pundit David Frum sees it as a devastating blow:

Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.

It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. But:

(1) It’s a good bet that conservatives are over-optimistic about November – by then the economy will have improved and the immediate goodies in the healthcare bill will be reaching key voting blocs.

(2) So what? Legislative majorities come and go. This healthcare bill is forever. A win in November is very poor compensation for this debacle now.

I think he may actually be right on those two points; I just disagree with his thinking that it's a bad thing. I do wonder, though, how the teabaggers will react to defeat. I don't doubt that some of them are the sort to take The Turner Diaries seriously.