Scott Brown's big win in the Massachusetts special Senate election represents a lot of things, but one thing that shouldn't be overlooked is that it's the first big win by tea party activists.

A lot of forces were at play to be sure.  Coakley wasn't a great candidate.  Brown was.  She took the race for granted and didn't work hard.  He did.  But even when you take that into consideration you still look around and realize that you're talking about Massachusetts, a state Obama won with over 61% of the vote in 2008.  One of the "bluest of the blue" states in the country.

So how did it happen?

In short, Obama made it all possible in the sense that he (and the Democrat leadership) created the political environment that gave rise to the Tea Party movement all across the country.  Their big push for bigger government and even bigger spending, more debt and more government control.

It started with opposition to the bailouts...then the TARP...then the stimulus...and then the Democrats push for their version of health care reform.  All in the face of the opposition of the American people.  And that opposition crystalized into a movement that's swept the country to the point where opinion polls show support for a non-existent "Tea Party" as being higher than for Democrats or Republicans.

It's opposition to everything that Washington has come to represent.  And Obamacare has become the central focus of that opposition; so much so that Scott Brown was essentially able to frame his entire campaign around opposition to it, (promising to be the 41st vote against it in the Senate).

It was catnip for those who resent big government and they rallied to him.  He became a cause for not just Massachusetts conservatives, but activists all across the country and online; he raised millions of dollars via the Internet and came from 30 points down to a 5 point victory in a month's time.  Again, in MASSACHUSETTS.  For "Ted Kennedy's seat".

Hopefully the win becomes more than just one seat...but a successful blow against the liberal agenda in Washington.  Hopefully it puts enough "fear of the voters" in enough members of Congress to gum up the works in the push for bigger government.

The additional irony here is that tea party activists should have their biggest, most incredible win in the state where the first tea party revolt took place over two hundred years ago. The hope is that this one will lead to success against oppressive government, just as that one did.

Like Thomas Jefferson said, a little revolution every now and then is a good thing.