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Even if Martha Coakley wins the election tonight, Republicans have a lot to crow about; Democrats, basically nothing. Teddy Kennedy, almost certainly the most powerful liberal voice in Congress dies; in the election to replace him, the Republican is running neck-and-neck with the Democrat. In the most liberal state in the Union.
Even if the Democrat wins, we'll still have to do a post-mortem to figure out what went wrong. And if the Republican wins? Pretty embarrassing for ALL of us liberals and progressives. This was so clearly the Democrat's seat to lose -- and, even if she doesn't, she's come damn close.
What DID go wrong, then?
1. Complacency.
This is the most obvious We all assumed that the primary was the election that mattered. We figured, whoever won the Democratic primary would get the seat. I think we all totally forgot about the fact that there's another major party -- and a minor party, as well -- who could field a candidate. I know I did.
That was pretty careless of us.
2. Martha Coakley kinda sucks as a potential Senator.
Look. All the good candidates got knocked out in the primary. It's really hard to get excited about a Senator who, as a prosecutor, oversaw a number of true miscarriages of justice. Her stated positions are more in line with mine than Scott Brown's are, so I voted for her, but I just don't LIKE her. I don't think she really has spent her career working in the cause of justice -- not all the time, at least. She has done some good things, and if you weigh the total damage she's done against the total good, the result might well be positive. Maybe.
But I really wouldn't have been able to muster myself to actually work on her behalf.
3. Martha Coakley really sucks as a Senatorial candidate.
That's rather related to the previous issue, but it's separate. Yes, being a lousy potential Senator does give your opponent lots of ammunition, and also means you don't have a fired-up ground team.
But, besides that, she's rather lacking in charisma. Which Scott Brown DOES have.
So.
Yeah.
The fact is, I'm not going to be thrilled no matter WHO wins this one. I'll be even LESS thrilled if Brown wins -- I think his misunderstandings of what "rights" are are even deeper than Coakley's -- but everybody who was GOOD got knocked out in the primary.
Coakley wins in a squeaker, Coakley wins in a landslide, Brown wins in a squeaker, Brown wins in a landslide. NONE of those are results that make me overly happy. (The "landslide" options are pretty unlikely, I think.) But, for me, the "Coakely wins" results are enough less bad to make me root for her.
Unenthusiastically.
Even if the Democrat wins, we'll still have to do a post-mortem to figure out what went wrong. And if the Republican wins? Pretty embarrassing for ALL of us liberals and progressives. This was so clearly the Democrat's seat to lose -- and, even if she doesn't, she's come damn close.
What DID go wrong, then?
1. Complacency.
This is the most obvious We all assumed that the primary was the election that mattered. We figured, whoever won the Democratic primary would get the seat. I think we all totally forgot about the fact that there's another major party -- and a minor party, as well -- who could field a candidate. I know I did.
That was pretty careless of us.
2. Martha Coakley kinda sucks as a potential Senator.
Look. All the good candidates got knocked out in the primary. It's really hard to get excited about a Senator who, as a prosecutor, oversaw a number of true miscarriages of justice. Her stated positions are more in line with mine than Scott Brown's are, so I voted for her, but I just don't LIKE her. I don't think she really has spent her career working in the cause of justice -- not all the time, at least. She has done some good things, and if you weigh the total damage she's done against the total good, the result might well be positive. Maybe.
But I really wouldn't have been able to muster myself to actually work on her behalf.
3. Martha Coakley really sucks as a Senatorial candidate.
That's rather related to the previous issue, but it's separate. Yes, being a lousy potential Senator does give your opponent lots of ammunition, and also means you don't have a fired-up ground team.
But, besides that, she's rather lacking in charisma. Which Scott Brown DOES have.
So.
Yeah.
The fact is, I'm not going to be thrilled no matter WHO wins this one. I'll be even LESS thrilled if Brown wins -- I think his misunderstandings of what "rights" are are even deeper than Coakley's -- but everybody who was GOOD got knocked out in the primary.
Coakley wins in a squeaker, Coakley wins in a landslide, Brown wins in a squeaker, Brown wins in a landslide. NONE of those are results that make me overly happy. (The "landslide" options are pretty unlikely, I think.) But, for me, the "Coakely wins" results are enough less bad to make me root for her.
Unenthusiastically.