An open seat for the US Senate out of Massachusetts has led to a very close race -- much closer than anyone expected.
Martha Coakley won the Democratic Party's primary by standing up against the BigBusinessGiveAway of Obama's (she spoke out against the refusal to cover reproductive rights) only to declare after winning that she would be a sure vote for the BigBusinessGiveAway regardless of what made it into the bill and what didn't. And, by the way, her opponent, he might not stand with Barack Obama on everything but Martha would. She'd defend Barack. Send her to DC and she'll defend Barack!!!!
As a campaign strategy, it's a real loser.
At the start of the month, Ava and C.I. were explaining it to another candidate:
Her first step should be to stop praising Barack Obama. He's not done a damn thing worthy of praise and if she wants to win the primary, she better grasp she needs to energize as many discontented voters as she can. The contented? If they're contented right now, they're are already going to vote for Jane Harman.
When will they ever learn?
Martha Coakley didn't learn. And the more she insisted she wanted to go to DC to defend Barack, the more voters she lost.
In part due to Barry O. Both his faltering image as well as the fact that most voters don't see a president as needing defending. But mainly because of the voters. If you're going to fight for someone, it damn well better be the people voting for you.
Martha didn't get it and made an idiotic (and entitled) statement in a debate that gave her opponent the moment he needed, allowing Scott Brown to step in and say the Senate seat wasn't Ted Kennedy's, it wasn't the Democrats', it was the people's seat.
Martha Coakley's having to fight right now because nobody likes a suck up. Scott's more than made up the difference because he can present as the outsider. The race says a lot about the current political landscape and if Mass. isn't a 'safe' seat for Democrats, it indicates that Dems are going to have spend big and work hard in other Congressional races later this year.
First up is the Martha-Scott matchup. That'll be decided Tuesday. Right now? It's already forcing the press to fess up to just how unpopular Barack is.