Our two-year-old daughter has just embarked on the difficult exercise of saying “Massachusetts.” She doesn’t get it quite right, and as far as I know she can’t spell it yet, but then neither can the Martha Coakley campaign, whose latest video ad attacking Scott Brown bore the credit line “Paid for by Massachusettes Democratic Party and Authorized by Martha Coakley for Senate. Approved by Martha Coakley.”
Big deal, right? It’s just a typo. But just imagine, as the folks at Powerline ask, if Sarah Palin had approved an ad that misspelled Alaska. Dan Quayle on steroids, what?
Massachusetts is the state to watch. Can Republican candidate Scott Brown pull it off? Today, less than a week away, it is impossible to say. But were I Martha Coakley, the fact that it is impossible to say would have me very, very worried. Democratic voters in Massachusetts outnumber Republicans 3 to 1. In the normal course of events, Coakley would be solidly, even untouchably ahead. But she isn’t. The polls are all over the place. And Brown has momentum. Into the final stretch, he is raising money hand over fist, and the public performances I’ve seen are very impressive. The guy gets it. On issues from taxes to terrorism to health care reform, he dissents sharply and articulately from the big-government non-solutions proliferating from Washington and state capitals across the country.
He also understands something many of our career politicians have forgotten or perhaps never knew. That in a democracy, public servants serve the public, not themselves and their coterie of special interests. It seems simple, right? You learned it in civics 101, except of course they no longer teach civics 101. That had to go to make room for oppression studies 101 through 896.
Evidence of that lacuna regarding the proper workings of representative democracy is everywhere to be seen. Consider, for example, the debate on Monday between Brown, Coakley, and a third-party candidate. The exchange was moderated by David Gergen — the “insufferable David Gergen” as Powerline correctly observed. When the discussion turned to health care reform, Gergen went on the attack against Brown. The last time Washington set out to socialize health care (I paraphrase) under the Clintons, its defeat meant that it would be fifteen years before the next serious effort to bring about a government takeover of health care (again, I paraphrase).
Roger,
Great piece. It perfectly summarizes the contest in this non bell weather state.
David Gergen is such a two faced slime.How would you like to be in a foxhole with that clown?
David Gergen was most assuredly not playing the role of the devil’s advocate. He believes, in his heart of hearts, that this U.S. senate seat belongs to the Kennedy family and they have a right to essentially appoint the next left-winger to hold the post. And the fortunate candidate is supposed to know that the honor is only temporary! They are to relinquish it when the next Kennedy becomes available. Casting their votes in support of the leftist agenda is also the nonnegotiable part of the bargain. I nether neither respect nor like Gergen. He is a harsh reminder why we must delegitimize the Ivy League institutions. Too often their graduates seem like individuals who make their decisions by placing their wet finger into the air.
Martha Coakley doesnt know what she is talking about when it comes to foreign policy issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lfaLAwqAY
Im content to see a contested election, but Sen. Brown (R-Mass.)? Heads exploding, eyeballs rotating, mouths frothing, hair torn, garments rent, suicides in San Francisco and Seattle, riots in Brookline and Harvard Square, panicked flight to Canada, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela. Am I allowed to dream?
Well,I would assume that ‘Massachusettes’ are females who live in that state….and of course males would be ‘Massachusers’
Short answer? No. Scott Brown can’t win. Coakley is a shoe in. Massachusetts is a progressive state.
Peace.
DS
The beauty aspect is also real in politics. Scott Brown is a “hunk” and his Democrat opponent is merely a reasonably attractive woman. That might be the deciding factor. I will personally take my political victories anyway that I can. Such is life. Looks count whether we like it or not.
Gergen is indeed insufferable. Brown had a perfect answer.
Brown will not win…Kennedy will split the vote.
Not meaning to, voters will put Coakley in office by voting for Kennedy.
Ironic, the name Kennedy would keep a Dem in office in Mass..
I do not believe Coakley is a shoe in.
But because of the structure of this race, she will win, and we will lose.
John #5 –
In short, yes we can. This is the age of Obama. If he can calm the rising seas and heal all the wounds of the world with his words, the people of Massachusettes can certainly help you realize your dream with their votes. We are in uncharted territory with this president – those old, tired laws of physics and nature no longer apply.
David # 3 –
Funny you should mention a finger in the air – I was just thinking to myself how much Gergen resembles one of those thumb puppets we used to make in grade school.
Brown has a chance if the ACORN buses roaring out of Minnesota heading for Massachusette break down enroute.
The Massachusetts Senatorial election is for the Obama/Reid/Pelosi socialist movement what Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg was to the Confederacy. It’s their highwater mark. They will lose this, and then the rout will be on. No healthcare bill or any other socialist bills. They’ll be lameducks until November 2010 when they’ll lose their majority in the Senate and House. Obama’s legacy will be worst U.S. President in modern history.
Next American Idol contestants: Crookly and the Massachusettes.
Coakley is now buying a LOT of tv airtime to go after Brown. Up until now, I have seen more of his ads than hers, but that just changed, maybe even to the point of overkill. Coakley had robo-calls going out to teachers union folks today.
Brown does have a good on-air presence, significantly better than Palin’s, actually. And yes he is a good looking guy, which can’t hurt. He has certainly not eliminated himself, which a lot of recent GOP candidates in Mass. have done.
Latest ad from Brown, “I will work with both parties so that we can get health care for everyone.” Believe me, you can’t sound too much like the average PJM poster and win in Massachusetts, just ask Mitt Romney, who is still the best guy out there that the GOP has to run, which is not to say that he can win the nomination.
If you want to stop Gergin-Pelosi-Reid-Obama mafia, hope & change and all that nonsense, you can volunteer to make “get out the vote” calls for Brown here: http://www.brownforussenate.com/
Coakley’s ads are ineffective Dwight; all she can say is Brown-BUSH-CHEBEY-TEA BAGGERS. I mean really. Does this woman have any common sense & brains? I don’t think so. She’s desperate & can’t campaign worth her salt. I hope loses bad next Tuesday. Brown’s ads have substance whereas her ads are pure inane drivel. Did Coakley’s dog write her ads? I beginning to wonder.
Dwight @ 17: I like him but to be honest I’ve got some problems with Brown. Call me cynical – but I’m not volunteering & donating to help Brown per se; I’m doing so to stop the jackboots in power now.
good column. That “It’s the People’s Seat” is a line that is going to reverberate through this nation….
go scott go. Go be a conservative. If you will, we’ll support you. If not, call harry reid and find out where he’s going to be in a few months.
If Coakley gets elected I guess we can look forward to more stupid legislation form DC, Health care for Illegals, sorry for the newly legal. Hold on to your wallet if you can. Thanks a pant load Massachusetts.
It is an uphill battle for a Republican in MA? Of course.
Can Brown win? Of course.
With our help.
The polls over the past several months have shown an impressive trend. All polls combined, Coakley’s lead has shrunk from 30 points to 2 points. She and the Dems are seriously concerned about Brown as a very real threat. They are pulling out all the stops. We must answer in kind.
Donate to Brown.
Make calls for Brown.*
Get others involved to do the same.
If we say we are patriots, we must do nothing less.
Time is of the essence. Let’s do it!
(*By the way, for anyone who’s never made calls for a campaign, it’s easy. You can do it at your own pace, the campaign provides a short script, you can always direct voters to contact the campaign directly if they have questions you can’t answer. Typically, however, voters ask few questions. You talk with some, leave a voice mail for others. You can make one call, ten calls, etc. If you feel intimidated, I implore you to give it a try. You can always quit if you find it’s too uncomfortable. But what I think you’ll find is that you’re hooked and want to make one more, and one more….)
9. For a shoe in, she’s sure dangerously close to losing.
2. trojan2:
David Gergen is such a two faced slime.How would you like to be in a foxhole with that clown?
Righto! I’d much rather be in a foxhole listening to Glenn Beck snivel and whimper. Or maybe Sean Hannity volunteering to confront the enemy, then backing down saying he’s done enough already. Or maybe Rush or Dick Cheney or oops, wait, six deferments between them. I’ll take Gergen any day.
David Gergen has been a Washington brown nose for so long he seems like part of the furniture. No matter who’s in power, Democrat or Republican, they can’t make a sharp turn without breaking Gergen’s nose.
It’s such a progressive state they would never elect a Republican Governor either,right David?
The simple fact “Teddie’s” seat is in jeopardy of going to a Republican should tell you something.As an officer of the court, is it not her sworn duty to prosecute the assault and battery inflicted by her minion on the reporter? Yes or no?
“The guy gets it. On issues from taxes to terrorism….”
He certainly does. Here’s a quote from one of his TV ads:
“Some people believe our Constitution exists to grant rights to terrorists who want to harm us. I disagree. Our laws are meant to protect this nation, not our enemies.”
Just what Kimball et al have been saying all along: The Constitution ceases to exist when we deal with our enemies.
“But just imagine … if Sarah Palin had approved an ad that misspelled Alaska.”
When it has to be explained to Martha Coakley that Saddam Hussein was not behind 9/11 and why there are two Koreas, THEN you can compare her to Palin.
The negative Coakley add has done more harm to her than any good. It plays to the people that are already going to vote for her. To people that aren’t sure it looks like it is so over the top and so “yesterday’s cliche’s” that she’s appearing even more like an entrenched out of touch politician and less like someone that particular group can relate to. Nobody believes a guy with a wife and two daughters is stopping rape victims from doing anything. The misspelling of Massachusetts made her look ridiculous and every time the add appears that’s all most people think about.Her political team reminds me or the corner men when Tyson got knocked down by Buster Douglas. They didn’t expect any problems, were friends of Tyson not professionals, and weren’t capable of doing what they were supposed to do.
14. sule: “Brown has a chance if the ACORN buses roaring out of Minnesota heading for Massachusette break down enroute.”
But then of course there are the black helicopters….
@9 “Short answer? No. Scott Brown can’t win.”
Quite possible correct. Even now, Democrats are scouring the cemeteries for last-minute voters, and their union thugs are preparing their cudgels (given the ruling by the Holder Dept. of Justice that voter intimidation is fine as long as it benefits Democrats).
Inspiring video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nEoW-P81-0&feature=player_embedded
Short answer? Yes. Scott Brown will win. He is a shoe in. Massachusetts is a state where the majority of voters register as independent. ACORN and union muggers will not prevail.
Peace.
SD
I don’t know — I live in the Boston area, and the IQ kind of falls off rapidly once you hit the far suburbs (aka Republican territory). Brown is a hollow T-shirt in an empty suit. The odds of him being anything more than another “Party of No” sockpuppet with no meaningful accomplishment is about the same of as us having a moon colony by 2011.
This is Massachusetts! They haven’t sent a republican to DC in 15 years and a senator for over 30 years.Chavez or Castro would beat a republican there.
ROASTED
BC, I don’t know if Brown is actually THAT bad. It certainly would be a shock were he to win, that’s for sure.
I don’t drink the PJM Koolaid administered here, but I am disgusted with the Dem machine in Mass that has produced Bulger, Finneran, DiMasi etc. It is healthier when the GOP has at least enough competence and clout to provide some checks and balances, which Weld, Romney et. al did. I’m not even sure that for the Dems to have their 60 votes in the Senate is such a good thing either. In a wierd way it takes all the pressure off the GOP folks to do anything remotely constructive…so they don’t.
Scott Brown has a very good chance of being very close to winning this election. The difference between winning and losing may be the votes for Joe Kennedy who is predicted to get 2-3% of the vote. If Joe Kennedy were a true patriot, he would drop out of the race so Scott would have a better chance of winning. I have nothing against Joe. He is a true conservative, but if he spoils this election, he will lose, Scott Brown will lose and the people of MA and the USA will lose.
Well in five days from today (Thursday Jan 14, 2010) we will all see and I am excited about it no matter what the outcome. I hope Scott wins and all the money that is going to Coakley is for naught.
I hope the race is easily decided with no recount of the vote but am not counting on it!
BC that is a false statement, you really should get out more. Here in the western suburbs mass my friends and neighbors are doctors, lawyers, engineers, finance professionals, etc. Middle and upper-middle class suburban voters tend to be registered independents but are more conservative (especially fiscally) than registrations in this state suggest. These are the same voters that elected Weld and Romney.
Also, despite the bleatings of their leaders, many real union employees are conservative too and get hit by higher taxes and crappy government as well. By real union I mean the men who actually do stuff, fix power lines, work with sheet metal, etc. not the grossly incompetent government employees who cant type and got their job due to: a) political connection, or b) Affirmative Action.
Brown has a shot. His appeal is clearly to the suburban voters, and I dont see lower income city voters getting out on Tuesday. Also, college students arent back yet and wont be engaged in this election. If Brown can draw the Senior vote who are afraid (justifiably) of getting their health benefits cut then he wins. Finally, even for Massachusetts the corruption in this state is really starting to smell and that has to be hurting Coakley.
I can only hope that the folks in Mass. will not vote Martha in. We NEED check and balances. It is mind boggling that people do not understand what is happening to our country and how these criminals in Wash. D.C. are destroying everything they touch.
Please vote in Brown. For the good of the country.
Why was nobody clapping when Brown said it was the peoples’ seat?
Was the crowd on some silence order?
It is quite possible this election could swing GOP only because notoriously Dem-safe MA doesn’t have a well oiled ACORN or other vote stealing machine at the ready. That said you can still bet MA is going to have its very own stimulus next Tuesady given the inevitable massive cash infusion of untraceable Democrat “walking around” money. That’s just how they roll. Much as I’d love to see it a Brown win would take the miracle of not only getting more actual votes but also a margin wide enough to overwhelm the stolen ones. ‘Twud be wicked awesome though…
Dear Mr. Kimball:
No, Mr. Brown has no chance whatsoever. You seem to be under the impression that there will actually be free and fair elections in MA. This is not the case. Between voter intimidation (Black Panthers), voter fraud, ballot box stuffing and other measures the Democrats have the election locked up. Sad, but there is nothing to be done about it, the Democratic party owns the state.
Roger, you left out the 4th and 5th pillar of reform. Why do doctors get a pass? Have them post their prices. They have the audacity to actually charge you for estimates on elective surgery. They are just sizing up your wallet. What is the difference between one boob reduction over another? Could we have a sale on colonoscopies? Only with open competition. These technicians make a killing while internists struggle.
5th pillar? Make dozens of safe Rx drugs OTC. That will give them lots of extra time now wasted renewing and prescribing drugs, which is a racket in many cases. Pharmacists are equipped to monitor abuse.
I am an independent in MA and I can tell you that Scott Brown has serious momentum. I believe he can pull this off. There is a real excitement in the air for Brown and Ive heard from many dems who will vote for him. I dont hear any excitement for Coakley. Whats to like?
If you want to see what people who challenge the Democratic party machine in MA are upset against, check out this video. It shows a Fox news reporter being manhandled and knocked down for asking a tough question of the Democratic Senate candidate:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583044,00.html
#5-A good reason to see Scott Brown live-imagine a man-made earthquake of panicked lefty scum in San Freak sicko? Maybe then they can take there “VOTING” patterns to Venezuela, where all the locals will see the stupid lefty gringoes and overthrow Chavez the commie.
#25-skeeziks-the only foxhole your likely to be in is the one the fox(no, not an ANN COULTER) IS TAKING A DUMP IN. You can now say you are a victim of Fox droppings. Loser.
Never doubt the strength and number of dead voters in MA.
The fact that David Gergen can make a good living in DC, let alone be a ‘moderator’ at a political debate, speaks volumes about what is wrong with our political culture.
Scott Brown is not only 50x more qualified to be the next U.S. senator from Massachusetts than Coakley, he is 50x more qualified than Obama to be president. The biggest problem for him is the lying, cheating democrats will lie and buy there way in. They will even use dead Ted (FRIGGIN LYING BASTARD) in some way to claim the seat, saying it is what Ted would have wanted.
OK, class is in session. From
Dear Word Detective: My teenager is telling me of the new slang expression he learned while playing basketball: his side being a shoe-in. . . . So the question: is it shoe-in or shoo-in as to shoo the horse over the finish line? — [Name of submitter]Chestnut Hill, MA.
Answer: Shoo in. Shoo in (as it is properly spelled), was originally a racetrack term. A shoo in was originally a horse that was expected to win a race, not by virtue of its speed or endurance, but because the race was fixed.
Class dismissed.
Gergen is one of them not us, Im sure he was at the lobbyist health care fund raiser the other night with coakley. Im surprised that gutless, wimp Gergen didnt ask coakley what her favorite color was.
Believe me, Gergen and the coakleys of the world arent taken serious. Theyre both lefty rump swabs doing what theyre told. They have no thoughts or ideas of their own and their record shows it.
Scott Brown will win Tuesday, January 19th and hell help bring some truth and sanity back to the country.
53. Concerned4All:
Scott Brown is not only 50x more qualified to be the next U.S. senator from Massachusetts than Coakley, he is 50x more qualified than Obama to be president.
You forgot to mention that he’s also a former nude model. What is it with you conservatives? Porn obsessions and nude models for leaders?
It seems that Massachusetts is getting much more progressive these days after the people tasted Ovama economy. Lets hope this trend will continue, and people will elect Brown.
As for his opponent – she is just as brilliant as comrade Obama, the guy who claimed he visited 57 states, who was capable of seeing dead people and who did not know the difference between revenues and profits, etc., etc.
55 Jon
What grade did y’all gradiate from?
Sallie, as long as there are enough elderly citizens of Hibernian descent here in the People’s Republic of MA who grew up with photos of the Pope, JFK and Cardianl Cushing on the mantle, they will vote for ANY Kennedy. And most of them are registered Democrats.
BC, what part of greater Boston do you pollute? Are the IQs lower in Western Mass than in Southie and Charlestown (to say nothing of Mattapan and Roxbury, would be racist to the fullest Harry Reid, right?). Let’s just say that I’m less than impressed with the politcal acumen of my neighbors in Melrose, moonbats to the core who elected one of Martha’s coatholders, empty skirt Katherine Clark, a carpetbagger extrodinnaire, as our state rep. People, that’s the problem here; many bright young things come here to attend one of the 80-odd colleges and universities inside of Route 495, and it seems that the only ones staying are the dimwitted education, social work and poly sci majors!
Frank, do you think ACORN can teach the Boston Democrats anything about stealing elections? James Michael Curley was elected mayor while in jail!
Lastly, here’s to Martha Jokeley, a sterling example of legal brilliance who wouldn’t let the innocent Tookie Amerault out of jail but couldn’t get the guilty Louise Woodward in!
50. Knotacommie:
I don’t know, I think you might actually be a commie. You’re definitely a knot.
COMMIT TO WORKING FOR THE BROWN CAMPAIGN THIS WEEK-END.
MAKE CALLS. MAKE CALLS. MAKE CALLS.
It’s not a big deal to do and makes a huge difference in the get out the vote effort.
American men and women are fighting to defend out nation. Surely, we can all pick up the phone, follow a short and simple script and make calls for Scott Brown.
This is the single most important thing we can do NOW in our effort to block this runaway Obamapelosireid train!!!!!!
The Dems didn’t want to have to spend any of the taxpayer slush fund(stimulus) to win this seat, but 4 or 5 million is no big deal when you have 500 billion dollars to spend on the 2010 elections.
Coakley’s internal polling shows her up by 2.
Suffolk Univ. poll just came out today and has Brown up by 4.
The Dems are pulling out all the stops to hang onto this one. We need to answer them!!!
Dedicate this week-end to supporting Scott Brown!!!!
White, black, the next one will be Brown!!!
Much Ado About a Lot
Pertinent and telling news of late:
It seems our president is something less than confident in suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous reporters.
When bolstered by his trusty teleprompter in prepared speeches, he’s just fine and oh, so articulate.
Faced with the prospect of speaking sans script, as in interviews and press conferences, he either puts his foot in his mouth at the interviews, such as comparing his bowling expertise with those of Special Olympians, or at press conferences where he called Cambridge, MA. cops stupid, he now limits interviews to good buddies and has suspended press conferences entirely.
Of course, ABC covered for him with “Obama had five news conferences at the White House last year, one more than President George W. Bush had in his first year in office.”
His last scheduled meeting with the press was held almost 6 months ago when, unscripted and uninformed, he ripped into Sgt. Joe Crowley for “acting stupidly” by doing his job and arresting Black race-baiter Prof. Louis Gates and then had to make amends by hosting a White House beer blast for the two antagonists: http://bit.ly/6tuaUJ
Talk about acting stupidly!
Here your president shows his true colors by strutting ahead to meet the press after that tete-a-tete while the stupid sergeant escorts the disabled Gates down the White House steps: . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1426)
As a refugee from the state of the “terminally boring and obnoxous liberal elitist” I can tell there is no way he can win. Why? A third of the state is on welfare and half the state is engaged in passing out welfare. If he did have enough votes to win they won’t be counted. Look for a double digit loss and a reaffirmation that we are on the right track with Obama. Anyone with half a brain left a long time ago. It is sad to see that once proud affluent state reduced to ruble. Don’t let the sky line fool you – just travel north on 1A and you will see what I mean.
PS How would you like to live in a state with 2 million Chris Matthews (MSNBC)?