Scott Brown’s victory in the Massachusetts special Senate election caught national attention as a political game-changer. In a state where only 11% of the electorate is Republican, Brown won against Democrat Martha Coakley with a solid margin. Remarkably, Brown did not campaign as a “moderate”, but as a candidate who would fiercely oppose Obama’s agenda.

Interestingly enough, both Obama and Brown reveal a stunning political reality: while “moderation” sounds more appealing than “extremism”, it is the “extreme” – the consistent – who actually win elections. He did so in a state used as a model for Obama’s health insurance regulatory scheme, a tragic irony for the left’s hubris and an indication that voters in that state are fed up with both the Democrats’ national agenda, and perhaps their own health insurance policies.

What’s really important about the election is the fact that it gives Republicans 41 seats in the Senate. While technically only a majority is needed to pass legislation or confirm appointments, Senate rules allow for unlimited debate. Democrat Strom Thurmond currently holds the record for longest speech, at 24 hours and 18 minutes, in a last ditch attempt to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957. If debate never stops, the Senate is unable to move to a final vote, and the legislation or confirmation cannot be passed. Under current Senate rules, 60 votes are needed for a “cloture motion” to stop debate and proceed to a vote. This means that a bill or confirmation can literally be talked to death, even if a majority would have supported it. With Brown as the 41st Republican Senator, a unified vote can block any legislation that does not have bipartisan support, meaning Democrats can no longer unilaterally force bad laws (additional health insurance regulations, “cap and trade”, etc) on the public.

Ultimately, though, the election doesn’t change the majority in the Senate, and Republicans will still be unable to advance their own agenda. What it does win is valuable time, allowing Republicans to hold out until the November elections. Then, voters across the country will instate a new House of Representatives and replace one third of the Senate. While many incumbents will remain, history and the current political climate indicate that the midterm elections will bring with them significant turnover, and Republicans running under a coherent agenda may be able to win back Congress.

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