Senate

It’s election time, again!

By Jay Newton-Small | @JNSmall | December 7, 2009 | +

Tomorrow, Massachusetts voters will go to the polls for primaries to fill Teddy Kennedy’s Senate seat. Bet on whomever can survive on the lowest turnout. No, seriously, having lived in Massachusetts for six bitter winters, I can attest: ain’t nobody gonna be lining up outside in the cold for any of these virtually unheard of candidates.

The choices, in brief:

Democrats:
1)   Attorney General Martha Coakley, 56, who leads in polls and has enjoyed the support of Emily’s list and, more recently, former President Bill Clinton (likely still smarting from Teddy’s endorsement of Obama; Coakley, never a Kennedy fave, won herself no friends in that camp by announcing her candidacy less than a week after Kennedy was buried). Possible ramifications: Coakley has said she would vote against any legislation that has Stupak-like abortion language in it. Though this amendment is unlikely to pass the Senate today – Ben Nelson’s got an amendment on the floor – it could be included in the final version of the health care reform bill.

2)   Rep. Michael Capuano, 57, who is enjoying a late breaking surge. Capuano, who voted for health care with (or, rather, despite) Stupak-like language in it, was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – the kiss of death any swing district, Massachusetts is one state where that might actually help.

3)   Steve Pagliuca, 54, co-owner of the Boston Celtics. This guy is a big self funder and the dark horse of the race.

4)   Alan Khazei, 48, a Harvard-educated social entrepreneur, who won the endorsement of the Boston Globe and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark. Alas for him, Khazei is considered a long shot.

Republicans:
1)   The dashing good looker of the race is State Senator Scott Brown, 50, a former model who put himself through law school after he won Cosmo’s “Sexiest Man” title at the age of 22. His wife, Gail, is a tv reporter and one of his two daughters appeared on American Idol. Talk about a telegenic bunch. Unfortunately for Brown, not much else is ever mentioned about him.

2)   While the establishment – such as it is for the GOP in solidly blue Massachusetts – is backing Brown, also on the ticket is Jack Robinson, 49, a lawyer who has also self-financed a previous run for Senate and bids for secretary of State and Congress.

The seat is currently being baby-sat by long-time Kennedy friend Paul Kirk, who is not running. The general election is scheduled for January 19 (even colder!).  Somehow, without a Kennedy in the race, it just doesn’t seem as fun, though maybe Massachusetts voters will disagree with me (certainly, polls immediately after Kennedy’s death showed large majorities wanted someone else to get a shot after nearly 57 years of Senator Kennedys).

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Related Topics: primaries, Senate seat, special election, ted kennedy, 2012 Election, Congress, Democratic Party, Health Care, Nancy Pelosi, Republican Party, Senate

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  • deconstructiva

    Thanks, Jay. Is it snowing there? It will be soon (and just starting where I am). You’re not a snowbird? Are Karen and Amy? I’ll bet Kate is (upper NY). I’ve spent winters in Chicago and Minnepolis, so I’m toughened up. Working on a shopping mall roof in Buffalo in January in four feet of snow is unforgettable. Try Dallas and Atlanta in the winter (I have) – like many non-mountain Southern areas they get occasional snow and ice but have almost no preparation for it, makes for highly amusing driving. How does DC rack up in winter?
    .
    As for election, why isn’t Kirk running? He just doesn’t want the gig or is homesick? Does he lack the prerequisite Baucus / Ensign-induced extramarital affairs, ahem, I mean, senatorial experience? Do you expect low turnouts? Could this boost chances for a long shot? Do you see a third party candidate swinging the general election? Thanks, and stay warm (hot toddy or cocoa w/ mint schnapps help).

  • rickterp

    deconstructiva, Kirk was appointed on the condition that he wouldn’t run in the special election.

    Coakley has led in the polls the whole way (she’s the only one in the Democratic field to win, or even run, a statewide race), but her lead has been shrinking week by week as she’s run a very cautious race and lots of progressives haven’t warmed to her. It’s her race to lose and she just might. Low turnout may favor Capuano and high turnout certainly favors Coakley. Khazei has run impressively and could be a spoiler, pulling support away from Capuano in some areas and Coakley in others.

    On the GOP side, Brown will win this, but Jack E. Robinson is a much more interesting figure — a black Republican who’s both anti-abortion and pro-same sex marriage.

    I’m not aware of any third-party candidates in this race. The winner of the Democratic primary will win the January 19 election 65-35. Brown is in this to build his name recognition for future races.

  • deconstructiva

    …rick, thanks for the update.

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    Thanks for the primer. I find it interesting though, that you choose to describe each Candidate solely based on who their allies are and who’s endorsed whom. There’s only one sentence that actually describes someone’s stand on an issue and that one pointedly leaves the actual stance open.

    I know there’s no reason to find this surprising but I can’t leave it unmentioned.

  • Exiled_At_Home (formerly Neo)

    I know this is old news, yet I still am a bit perturbed that Kirk, or anyone for that matter, was authorized to serve as interim Senator. When the Democratic Party in MA, led by Kennedy, was opposed to then GOP Governor Romney appointing an interim Senator in the event that Sen. Kerry was elected President, it seemed reasonable given the argument for the voice of the people to be reflected in an election, not a singular appointment. A state law was then passed to ensure that an election, not an appointment, would address the situation in the event of a vacant seat. With the death of Kennedy, however, the Democrats, and Kennedy in the weeks prior to his passing, changed their stance, arguing that the people need representation, regardless of whether the representative is elected or not. Not surprisingly, this change occurred under a Democratic governor who would be tasked with making the appointment. Both arguments, in my opinion, are valid when standing on their own merits. However, they were not made on any principled rationale, in truth, but simply factional posturing to further the party, rather than democracy. Support the representation of the people when an open seat may be filled with a GOP appointee. Support representation for the people when the seat will be filled with a Democratic appointee. Ah, duplicity.

  • kbanginmotown

    That would require reporting on, you know, issues…

  • Cliff

    I think that in JNS’ world, the D and the R give all the information one needs to know about a candidate.
    .
    “D” means socialism, global warming and killing babies.
    .
    “R” means Bibles, supporting the troops and lethal interjection.

  • deconstructiva

    …representation of / for / by the people, eh? Also speaking of old news, how about Bush ’00? Or was that an appointment, I mean, election of Kitty Harris, by SCOTUS, and for his brother? In comparison, Kirk’s appointment doesn’t look so bad, hmm?

  • along1

    I don’t know about Republicans, but you’re seriously saying you think the COLD will dissuade Massachusetts Democrats from voting for their candidate for SENATE? Uhh, you ain’t from around heah, ahh you?

    EVERYONE with a television knows everything there is to know about EVERY Dem candidate. Sure Capuano was not as well-known as Markey or Frank, but he sure the hell is as well-respected. Coakley had higher name recognition, but was, and maybe still is, more of a cipher. Pagliuca has run an effective air campaign, and most everyone likes him, regardless of whether they’ll vote for him. Khazei got THE endorsement, and he’s got lots of influential friends with lots of money. The real story here is that everyone but Coakley is running for John Kerry’s seat.

  • Exiled_At_Home (formerly Neo)

    Decon~
    It’s not the appointment, per se, that bothers me. It’s the fact the Democrats of MA vehemently opposed appointments of interim Senators in ’04, arguing for expedient elections to fill vacant seats. They passed a law. Now, in ’09 they ardently support appointments in the interim period between vacancy and election. They overtun their own law. ’04 GOP Governor would make appointment. ’09 Democratic Governor made the appointment. It’s politicking at it’s most extreme.
    ~
    As for Bush, I’m sorry, but the Equal Protection Clause argument is solid justification for a federal intervention in a state’s electoral issues, when that election is a national election. This is not to say that Gore did not have a valid position as well. But given that both positions were constitutionally sound, I’m not prepared to sit here and engage in hyperbole regarding stolen elections/appointed presidents. It’s not supported by even a cursory understanding of constitutional/electoral law.

  • jarais

    I’ve heard from friends who have voted that turnout is really low today (I’m abroad). That said, it would be stupid for a Massachusetts Democrat not to vote today. This is the first time in my life that a senate seat has been pretty much up for grabs in MA.

    I sent in my absentee ballot a few weeks ago. If Martha Coakley wins, I’ll probably have a least a couple of decades to make Mooninite jokes about her.

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  • helenrw

    Dude, it’s not even 30 degrees over here in Greater Boston. I WALKED to my polling place.

    There’s talk of low voter turnout, but that’s going to be for the same reason it happens everywhere else — some people are underinformed and lazy. (And I’m nearly still part of the Youth Vote that isn’t supposed to care.)

    I think my district (Capuano is my Congressman) will go strong for Capuano, and the rest is up in the air.

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