Massachusetts Senate and Congressional races, with an aside on Presidential polls.

[No Elephants]

Warren v. Brown

Latest poll: Warren ahead of Brown by six points. (Matt Damon endorsed her.)I don't think Damon's endorsement did it, though. I think the debates did.

In the third debate, she finally did what I wanted her to do in the first debate, namely, show he is being deceptive about how bi-partisan he is.

He used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse not to meet her in the fourth debate, which was to be under the auspices of Emily Rooney's show (Andy's Republican daughter) and to be hosted by CNN's resident RW tool, John King, who spent the night of Ted Kennedy's death focusing on Chappaquiddick.

Even Rooney was implying Brown chickened out, though Brown was claiming Warren had chickened out of earlier debates.

Meanwhile, Brown ran the most negative campaign he could, given that Warren's personal life seems exemplary, and a fairly deceptive one. Then again, his first campaign was deceptive too. So, no surprise.

Story on latest Warren-Brown poll: http://plymouthdailynews.com/warren-leads-brown-latest-poll-6-percent-17707

P.S. I am watching right now what I consider to be the best of the Boston local news stations. It is the one where Brown's wife used to work. (You know, the reporter who is standing knee deep in the snow on the highway at 5 a.m. the first morning of a snowstorm, just in case no one believes the weather report? Well, that was Brown's wife.) They are pretending "the polls" are showing a dead heat. In fact, only one outlier poll shows that.

George Will tried to pull the same drivel about Obama and Romney this morning, claiming dramatically that "the polls are still all over the place." In fact, 21 out of 23 of the latest Presidential polls show Obama winning the electoral vote dramatically.

Good ole Will, using his last weekly show to maintain his dishonesty. I guess he can pride himself on his consistency.

Massachusetts had an African American Senator before Kerry. He was a Republican, but now says he is a Democrat--he had thought the Republicans were still the party of Lincoln as far as race. (How out of touch could a politician at that level possibly be?) We also have an African American Governor. However, we have never had a female Governor, a female U.S. Senator, etc. And our female Lt. Governors, one of whom became acting Governor, were Republicans. Still, I am hopeful women can break the Massachusetts barrier.

I do hope Warren is what she says and not simply another DLCer. (She did start out as a Republican.)


Tierney v. Tsei


The other campaign we're watching here is Tierney v. Tsei for Congress. Tierney's wife convicted of running a gambling operation with her brothers. Tierney says he had no knowledge of it. Judge agreed with him, but still. Tsei's parents also broke the law, but that is not getting the same publicity.

I think Tierney's best hope is some amalgam of name recognition and low info voters, but I think Tsei may take it.


Joseph P. Kennedy III v. Sean Beilat


Then, there is a sentimental favorite, a Kennedy of THE Kennedy family running for Barney Frank's seat. (Massachusetts has lots of Kennedy families.)

Last time, Beilat gave Barney Frank a run for his money, literally and figuratively, though Frank won handily.

The Republican who challenged Frank last time could not raise money this time. The only ads--not many--have been Kennedy's. Massachusetts Republicans, of course, hate the Kennedys passionately.

The latest poll was early October, supposedly showing Beilat closing in. (It was a RW Boston Herald poll.) I think Kennedy will win.

Sentimental note: The newly drawn district is oddly shaped, running from relatively liberal Brookline near Boston to the relatively red fishing towns--the latter being what convinced Frank to retire. Brookline is where Rose and Joe I lived when JFK was born.

Personal sorrow:

Meanwhile--and this is the first time I can type it: The Republicans got re-district Massachusetts. They fixed it so that Boston, THE most liberal part of the state, will be represented by Lynch, whom the Boston Globe called THE most conservative person in the Democrat delegation.

My beloved current rep, THE most liberal of the Massachusetts delegation, Mike Capuano, will be running in a district inland of Boston.

That was no doubt designed to weaken both Reps. And, as you may imagine, I am not overjoyed about voting for a Blue Dog--representing Boston of all place!

January 2013 will be the first time that neither Ted Kennedy nor Mike Capuano will representing me and I am heartbroken about it.

Lesson to be learned: Make sure you don't have historic losses in any election around the 10 year census.