Under fire from Scott Brown for making a plea for votes at a Martin Luther King Day breakfast this morning, Martha Coakley this evening announced the endorsement of King's son, Martin Luther King III.
In the three minute video, King says in part:
“My father, on Friday, would have been 81 years old, had he lived. And I know that he always believed in a responsible and progressive agenda, an agenda that the President is forging. And we know that when Attorney General – but soon to be Senator-elect – Coakley is elected, that she will be a part of a team that helps to forge the President’s agenda.
“A voteless people is a powerless people, and one of the most important steps we can take is that short step to the ballot box.”
Pre-election day roundup.
A lot of links got sent my way over the past two days, and there is just no way I can read and post all of them. Thanks to everyone who sent in a story, and I hope you will keep them coming.
--Politico's Ben Smith reports on the (even more) negative turn the race has taken in its final hours, including the incident involving the MLK breakfast this morning, and the curling iron remark. He's also wrote about the irony of this great state of ours essentially deciding the national health care reform issue...given that we already have health care reform. Plus, check out all various campaign mischief stories. (Yes, I realize it seems silly to write a post linking to a post of links, but I am two days behind.)
--Democrats have launched a "Do it for Teddy" website in a final attempt to capitalize on the legacy of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Aside from the poor choice of slogan ("I'm doing it for Teddy!"), the effort is probably wasted at this point.
--The Fix wonders if a Brown win would be the biggest upset in modern political history (although at this point, I wonder if a Coakley win would be the biggest upset). Chris Cillizza also reports that both the Rothenberg Report and Cook Political Report believe Brown will win.
--Cillizza and Karl Vick also wrote a great story on the race Saturday, in which they reported, "In mid-December, the National Republican Senatorial Committee conducted a poll that showed Brown trailing by only 13 points, but it kept the results to itself."
Now that's a fascinating bit of information that begs the question: was the Coakley camp conducting internal polls post December 8? If so, did they show the same numbers?
One has to assume that team Coakley either a) took her election so much for granted that they never bothered to poll, b) their polls differed from the NRSC poll, or c) they got the same results and still proceeded with the disappearing campaign.
(Note: My dad called me this afternoon to wonder why I hadn't posted since Saturday. He said, "You're like Martha Coakley. You disappear at the most important time." Ouch.)
--Politico's Chris Frates and Manu Raja discuss the potential legal battle that could ensue over Paul Kirk and the seating of the new Senator should Scott Brown win tomorrow.
--Also at Politico, Alex Isenstadt writes about the absence of Mitt Romney on the Brown campaign trail, given, you know, that he used to be the Governor of Massachusetts. Romney did campaign for Brown way back in October (at the time he compared the GOP opposition to Obama to the American Revolution), but has been absent from the state since.
--Senator John Kerry wants Scott Brown supporters to stop their "bullying and threats."
Update: The Brown campaign responded to Kerry's comments this afternoon. “John Kerry is literally borrowing a page from the playbook of his failed presidential bid in a last-ditch effort to resuscitate Martha Coakley’s collapsing campaign," said Beth Lindstrom, Brown campaign manager. "Martha Coakley has run the most malicious campaign Bay State voters have ever seen, and her last-minute reliance on John Kerry’s 2004 failed strategy is further evidence that she believes her only path to victory is by manufacturing non-existent controversies.”
--Personally, I found the recent silly flap about Republicans being Yankees fans ridiculous. As loyal readers will remember, I exposed the secret Yankee fan in the Senate race way back in November.
And finally, I have to do a little bit of self-promotion and link to this great post from John Vaught LaBeaume at the Washington Examiner.
Will keep posting throughout the night when anything interesting comes my way, and will post the candidates' election day schedules as soon as I have them.
--Politico's Ben Smith reports on the (even more) negative turn the race has taken in its final hours, including the incident involving the MLK breakfast this morning, and the curling iron remark. He's also wrote about the irony of this great state of ours essentially deciding the national health care reform issue...given that we already have health care reform. Plus, check out all various campaign mischief stories. (Yes, I realize it seems silly to write a post linking to a post of links, but I am two days behind.)
--Democrats have launched a "Do it for Teddy" website in a final attempt to capitalize on the legacy of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Aside from the poor choice of slogan ("I'm doing it for Teddy!"), the effort is probably wasted at this point.
--The Fix wonders if a Brown win would be the biggest upset in modern political history (although at this point, I wonder if a Coakley win would be the biggest upset). Chris Cillizza also reports that both the Rothenberg Report and Cook Political Report believe Brown will win.
--Cillizza and Karl Vick also wrote a great story on the race Saturday, in which they reported, "In mid-December, the National Republican Senatorial Committee conducted a poll that showed Brown trailing by only 13 points, but it kept the results to itself."
Now that's a fascinating bit of information that begs the question: was the Coakley camp conducting internal polls post December 8? If so, did they show the same numbers?
One has to assume that team Coakley either a) took her election so much for granted that they never bothered to poll, b) their polls differed from the NRSC poll, or c) they got the same results and still proceeded with the disappearing campaign.
(Note: My dad called me this afternoon to wonder why I hadn't posted since Saturday. He said, "You're like Martha Coakley. You disappear at the most important time." Ouch.)
--Politico's Chris Frates and Manu Raja discuss the potential legal battle that could ensue over Paul Kirk and the seating of the new Senator should Scott Brown win tomorrow.
--Also at Politico, Alex Isenstadt writes about the absence of Mitt Romney on the Brown campaign trail, given, you know, that he used to be the Governor of Massachusetts. Romney did campaign for Brown way back in October (at the time he compared the GOP opposition to Obama to the American Revolution), but has been absent from the state since.
--Senator John Kerry wants Scott Brown supporters to stop their "bullying and threats."
Update: The Brown campaign responded to Kerry's comments this afternoon. “John Kerry is literally borrowing a page from the playbook of his failed presidential bid in a last-ditch effort to resuscitate Martha Coakley’s collapsing campaign," said Beth Lindstrom, Brown campaign manager. "Martha Coakley has run the most malicious campaign Bay State voters have ever seen, and her last-minute reliance on John Kerry’s 2004 failed strategy is further evidence that she believes her only path to victory is by manufacturing non-existent controversies.”
--Personally, I found the recent silly flap about Republicans being Yankees fans ridiculous. As loyal readers will remember, I exposed the secret Yankee fan in the Senate race way back in November.
And finally, I have to do a little bit of self-promotion and link to this great post from John Vaught LaBeaume at the Washington Examiner.
Will keep posting throughout the night when anything interesting comes my way, and will post the candidates' election day schedules as soon as I have them.
Politico poll shows Martha Coakley "in a freefall."
Politico's Ben Smith is reporting this afternoon on a new poll conducted for the site showing Republican Scott Brown leading Democrat Martha Coakley 52-43 with just about 14 hours until the polls open in Massachusetts.
According to Smith, the poll was conducted entirely last night, making it more recent than the DailyKos poll released earlier that showed the race in a 48-48 tie.
More disturbing for Democrats: Politico's poll was conducted after President Obama's visit for Coakley.
Perhaps replays of the event on the evening news and the new ad featuring the President will help Coakley make up some ground today, but this is devastating news for Obama and his party.
According to Smith, the poll was conducted entirely last night, making it more recent than the DailyKos poll released earlier that showed the race in a 48-48 tie.
More disturbing for Democrats: Politico's poll was conducted after President Obama's visit for Coakley.
Perhaps replays of the event on the evening news and the new ad featuring the President will help Coakley make up some ground today, but this is devastating news for Obama and his party.
Scott Brown launches "Voter Bomb."
As he careens across the state in the final hours before tomorrow's special election, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Scott Brown launched his final campaign effort, a "Voter Bomb."
It was Brown's $1.3 million "money bomb" that helped catapult him to the top of the polls last Monday, and a "Voter Bomb" on that scale could place him in the U.S. Senate.
In a message to members of the Brown Brigade, Brown campaign political director Peter Fullerton described the mechanics:
As an aside, I have spent a lot of time praising Brown's media advisers for their great ads, but a tremendous amount of credit also goes to his field team and social media team for the work they have done to create events and images like this one:
What's been really interesting about the Brown campaign over the past few months is the amazing strides they have made through grass-roots advocacy - usually the specialty of Democrats. From the launch of the Brown Brigade ( 6,620 members and counting), the use of Twitter ( 10,772 followers), Facebook (83,445 fans - compared to 15,539 for Coakley), YouTube, and new political tools like the Money Bomb and Voter Bomb, Brown has been connecting with individual, tech-savvy voters like no Massachusetts Republican ever has before.
Above all, he and his team have generated excitement about his candidacy. In about twenty eight hours we will know if that excitement was enough for victory.
It was Brown's $1.3 million "money bomb" that helped catapult him to the top of the polls last Monday, and a "Voter Bomb" on that scale could place him in the U.S. Senate.
In a message to members of the Brown Brigade, Brown campaign political director Peter Fullerton described the mechanics:
Here is how it works: Go to the website: www.TheVoterBomb.com and tell Scott Brown right now how many voters you will personally ensure show up and vote on Tuesday January, 19th.
This means you are saying you will be responsible for verifying that your friends and fellow supporters actually voted.
That might mean you personally take your voters to the polls. It might mean you just call or email them to verify they voted. Either way, you are responsible for verifying that your network voted for Scott Brown on January, 19th.
It is that simple. We will keep a running tally so that you can see how many other people just like you have also joined the The Voter Bomb.
Do not let up.The site itself is very interesting, as it tracks the number of committed voters in each county. If those numbers keep growing, so do Brown's chances of winning tomorrow.
As an aside, I have spent a lot of time praising Brown's media advisers for their great ads, but a tremendous amount of credit also goes to his field team and social media team for the work they have done to create events and images like this one:
What's been really interesting about the Brown campaign over the past few months is the amazing strides they have made through grass-roots advocacy - usually the specialty of Democrats. From the launch of the Brown Brigade ( 6,620 members and counting), the use of Twitter ( 10,772 followers), Facebook (83,445 fans - compared to 15,539 for Coakley), YouTube, and new political tools like the Money Bomb and Voter Bomb, Brown has been connecting with individual, tech-savvy voters like no Massachusetts Republican ever has before.
Above all, he and his team have generated excitement about his candidacy. In about twenty eight hours we will know if that excitement was enough for victory.
The impact of President Obama's visit.
We won't really know whether or not President Obama saved Martha Coakley's candidacy (and, potentially, health care reform) until 8 p.m. tomorrow. What we do know, is that this race is no longer about Coakley herself, and that may be a good thing for a flailing candidate.
While he may be sagging in popularity around the country, President Obama remains popular in Massachusetts (last week's Suffolk poll put him at 55% favorable against 35% unfavorable - vs. 49%-41% numbers for Coakley). Somebody on the Democratic side must have realized this (I'm guessing someone from the White House or DNC, and not the Coakley staff), as the final ad of Coakley's campaign prominently features the President and makes the candidate almost a minor character.
When I watch the ad or clips from the speech, I see a crowd fired up an enthusiastic for a President they overwhelmingly voted for in November 2008, and not a candidate they have been decidedly ambivalent about for weeks.
That is a good thing for Martha Coakley. When voters see television ads in which she voices her support for health care reform in her monotone voice...well, let's be honest, they probably aren't inspired.
In a press release this afternoon, Coakley campaign manager Kevin Conroy said, "The energy surrounding President Obama’s visit and the upcoming election reflects the enthusiasm we’ve seen for Martha’s proud record of standing up for Massachusetts, and her strong vision for our country." With all due respect to Mr. Conroy, if voters had been that enthusiastic for Coakley, the President wouldn't have been needed here in the first place.
But when they turn on their televisions tonight and see the President they loved just 14 months ago passionately asking them for their vote again tomorrow...I would guess Massachusetts Democrats are finally going to be moved to the polls. If not? Then there are rough times ahead for Martha Coakley, President Obama, and the DNC.
While he may be sagging in popularity around the country, President Obama remains popular in Massachusetts (last week's Suffolk poll put him at 55% favorable against 35% unfavorable - vs. 49%-41% numbers for Coakley). Somebody on the Democratic side must have realized this (I'm guessing someone from the White House or DNC, and not the Coakley staff), as the final ad of Coakley's campaign prominently features the President and makes the candidate almost a minor character.
When I watch the ad or clips from the speech, I see a crowd fired up an enthusiastic for a President they overwhelmingly voted for in November 2008, and not a candidate they have been decidedly ambivalent about for weeks.
That is a good thing for Martha Coakley. When voters see television ads in which she voices her support for health care reform in her monotone voice...well, let's be honest, they probably aren't inspired.
In a press release this afternoon, Coakley campaign manager Kevin Conroy said, "The energy surrounding President Obama’s visit and the upcoming election reflects the enthusiasm we’ve seen for Martha’s proud record of standing up for Massachusetts, and her strong vision for our country." With all due respect to Mr. Conroy, if voters had been that enthusiastic for Coakley, the President wouldn't have been needed here in the first place.
But when they turn on their televisions tonight and see the President they loved just 14 months ago passionately asking them for their vote again tomorrow...I would guess Massachusetts Democrats are finally going to be moved to the polls. If not? Then there are rough times ahead for Martha Coakley, President Obama, and the DNC.
An apology for the silence and a plea to the candidates.
I have kept my personal politics out of this site for the most part, but after the last 48 hours of inexcusable silence I am compelled to stake out one position.
To Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, or Joe Kennedy: If you win, please insist that Amtrak trains install wireless internet immediately.
Yes, my complete and utter failure of personal scheduling (in this case a mini-reunion with high school friends in Philadelphia the weekend before an election that has consumed my life since September) certainly played a role. But, with two 6 1/2 hour train rides in 48 hours, I figured I would have plenty of opportunity to blog from the train. "My MBCR commuter trains have wireless," I reasoned. "The Bolt bus to NYC has wireless. Certainly Amtrak has wireless."
Well, you know the rest. I followed the Senate race relentlessly for 4+ months...and then went eerily silent for two of the three days before the election. On the bright side, there is so much press surrounding our candidates now that I'm sure you weren't lacking for news on Brown, Coakley, and Kennedy.
There is virtually no time for me to play catch up on what I missed (what's that you say, the President was here?), so you will have to excuse me if I skip any stories that are already dated.
As I gather my bearings, I will post any new information I get from the campaigns and will do a final evening wrap up in the next couple of hours to grab any other big stories you may have missed.
In the meantime, you can join my cause and insist that the candidates endorse immediate wireless internet access for Amtrak.
To Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, or Joe Kennedy: If you win, please insist that Amtrak trains install wireless internet immediately.
Yes, my complete and utter failure of personal scheduling (in this case a mini-reunion with high school friends in Philadelphia the weekend before an election that has consumed my life since September) certainly played a role. But, with two 6 1/2 hour train rides in 48 hours, I figured I would have plenty of opportunity to blog from the train. "My MBCR commuter trains have wireless," I reasoned. "The Bolt bus to NYC has wireless. Certainly Amtrak has wireless."
Well, you know the rest. I followed the Senate race relentlessly for 4+ months...and then went eerily silent for two of the three days before the election. On the bright side, there is so much press surrounding our candidates now that I'm sure you weren't lacking for news on Brown, Coakley, and Kennedy.
There is virtually no time for me to play catch up on what I missed (what's that you say, the President was here?), so you will have to excuse me if I skip any stories that are already dated.
As I gather my bearings, I will post any new information I get from the campaigns and will do a final evening wrap up in the next couple of hours to grab any other big stories you may have missed.
In the meantime, you can join my cause and insist that the candidates endorse immediate wireless internet access for Amtrak.
