Strategic error in Mass.? Is it really liberal?

[wilt the stilt]

I stared thinking about Mass. and trying to think of any women governors, women representatives or women senators from Mass. and I couldn't come up with any. So, I used the Google and this is what I found.

Massachusetts has only elected three Lieutenant Governors:

* Evelyn Murphy (Democrat) 1987-1990
* Jane Swift (Republican) 1999-2001
* Kerry Healey (Republican) 2003-2006

Massachusetts has never elected a woman to the United States Senate and has only elected three women to the United States House of Representatives:

* Edith Nourse Rogers (Republican) 1925-1960
* Louise Day Hicks (Democrat) 1971-1973
* Margaret M. Heckler (Republican) 1967-1983


In 2001, Massachusetts ranked 19th out of the fifty states in percentage of women serving in the state legislature (Center for American Women and Politics).

For all the great talk of how liberal Mass. is it's really not true? I work with a Texan and he told me this story just the other day. He moved there with his wife and all the men asked him where he found a women like that and he said you have to bring them from Texas. A keen insight that Massachusetts people don't really like "Northern Women".
This reminds of when I was growing up and the Celtics always had trouble selling out for Bill Russell's teams but as soon as they got Bird and a white dominated they were loved. Up until The 80's Celtics the Celtics were the red headed stepchild of sports in Boston.

Don't forget the busing riots of the 70's.

Perhaps Coakley was fighting an uphill unwinnable battle of provincialism.

[Geek_Girl]

1. I'm also kind of wondering if that came into play

nt

[Xipe Totec]

2. For all the points you're making, and they are good points,

We have to also acknowledge that Martha Coakley did not run a good campaign and made some major gaffes. She showed herself to be very disconnected from the local culture.

[rox63]

3. We also elected Nikki Tsongas to the US House

But overall, MA has a poor record of electing women.

That said, Coakley ran an awful campaign.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Then I guess Alaska is liberal as all get-out.

Don't use "women" as a proxy for "liberal"

edited to add:
I don't think any place is inherently liberal. People appreciate candidates who demonstrate empathy, leadership, vision and principles.

[Raspberry]

5. Well . . .

. . . don't forget that half of Massachusetts Senate seats were tied up by one family for over half a century.

[rug]

6. My ex was ugly.

[notesdev]

7. If it were really that competitive in Mass

How come she ran like she thought there was not a prayer in hell she'd lose?

[Grand Taurean]

8. There is a mean undertone of racism/sexism.

in our society.

[Ardent15]

9. MA voted for Ronnie Raygun twice...

Don't take any state for granted.

[timeforpeace]

10. We lost, ergo it's not liberal.

[wilt the stilt]

12. How about the race issue

and the Celtics. I was around at the time and the Celtics were hardly loved and I think the Texas thing is interesting. I live in the south and the women are very different.

[chelsea0011]

11. Louise Day Hicks.......Jeesh. Thanks for the reminder.

[Retrograde]

13. Demogratic leaning does not mean liberal

Massachusetts was once a bastion of blue-collar workers, with a high proportion of Catholics, two groups which in the past tended to vote for Democrats. But those were also the demographics that Reagan appealed to, and times have changed from the days when unions and the churches told people who to vote for (and could be expected to be listened to). They can also be very conservative groups, especially when they feel threatened. Listening to my blue-collar relatives in western New York, there's a widespread feeling that there's really nothing to choose from between the two parties and they might as well go with the devil they don't know yet. I think that's a major reason why Obama did so well: he seemed to listen. The same with Hillary Clinton: she made an effort to understand the people she was going to serve.

I also think Democrats have gotten complacent in many areas (in my district the GOP half-heartedly fields candidates every two years, but there's little active campaigning).