Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

The ‘baggers are coming! The ‘baggers are coming!

By

Herald:

Massachusetts is becoming ground zero for the national Tea Party movement as emboldened activists flock from Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York in hopes of helping Scott Brown’s meteoric campaign close the deal in the race for U.S. Senate….

Activists from several states are volunteering to rally, donate and make phone calls.  Rhode Island Tea Party members will spend their weekend in the Bay State campaigning for Brown…. With the clock ticking on Tuesday’s election, Tea Party activists from Connecticut are arriving in Worcester today, where they are due to meet with others from Albany, N.Y…. Tea Party members from Montana, Texas and Georgia have been flooding The Greater Boston Tea Party and the Plymouth Rock Tea Party with calls, representatives told the Herald.

“Ground zero for the national Tea Party movement.”  Amazing.  And here’s the good part:

Brown has sought to downplay his ties to the Tea Party movement

LOL Like when he addressed them in April.

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  1. I heard these today while phonebanking and also on Martha’s Facebook pages. Apparently the Brown-shirts are standing outside all of her appearances harassing attendees. I think this backfires on them big time: utilizing classless, brown-shirt tactics incents people to vote for Coakley. Plus if they’re at her rally, they are harassing people who are already going to vote for her anyway, vs. trying to change someone’s mind. They should spend their time doing something constructive-like making calls for their candidate.

      • The media is coddling Scott Brown. You won’t hear anything bad about his campaign or his followers.

    •  I have been shoved about by democrats at standouts. When my friends become curious, the democRATS slink back to their holes. I’m being harrassed by purple-shirted thugs from New York, while Massachusetts SEIU rank and file are volunteering for Scott Brown.
      So um, Which of our 351 cities and town does this guy Barry Obama live? Billy Clinton? Time for a dye job. Your blueneck roots are showing.  

      • And I know you’re lying about being harassed by ‘union thugs’. You wingnuts love hyperbole and victimhood.

        •  From an SEIU worker. She was being paid by her union to make calls for Coakley. Her location was New York. Massachusetts SEIU workers are realizing that democrats want to put them out of work. Aw, you don’t like being the bad guys. I understand. I consider ANY call by a democRAT harrassment. There’s a big fat R next to my name.
          Why are the biggest cuts in the state budget against the disabled?

          • I have a big ‘D’ next to my name, and any organization can look up my political donation history over the last decade and see that I have given thousands to Democrats. I’m happy they’re wasting their money calling me. I don’t consider it harassment-just annoying.    

          • push you around over the phone? If any call you get from a Democrat is harassment, why aren’t you calling the police and phone company? Is your name Rbillxi, or is it billxiR? Why do you comment here?  

    • I have had campaign signs in the same place for the last several elections, including the recent Primary.

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      p>This is the first time someone (another Brown-shirt, no doubt), stole or damaged any of my signs.

      <

      p>Also many of our visibility volunteers today have reported belligerent behavior on the part of the Brown people.  In previous elections, we have stood next to Republicans holding signs for the other candidate, and we have had amiable conversations.  I have had very nice interactions with the Republican candidate herself (or himself). This nastiness is not typical.

      <

      p>I guess a vile candidate inspires vile followers.

      <

      p>BTW, I am in Brown’s State Senate district.

      • Which, incidentally, we’re doing this weekend. I suppose we got lucky. I do wonder how the Dem phonebank lists are determined, because I’d actually feel better if we’d been inundated with GOTV calls.

        • I have no idea how I eer got on their list considering I have not nor will I ever vote Republican.

          • The more time they spend calling you, Kathy, the less time they have to call somebody they might be able to persuade to vote for Brown.

          • I have received a number of calls from live Coakley phone banks as well as receiving multiple mailers from Coakley and the State Democrat Party.  Not sure which costs more, but ultimately I think each party and their supporters will end up spending close to the same amount.

            <

            p>After this is all over, I hope there are lessons on both sides regarding not only what works, but also what is “over the line” in terms of positioning their opponents positions vis-a-vis your own.

            <

            p>I am very disappointed in that the calls I have received from Coakley supporters (I cannot tell if they are calling on their own or for the candidate in full disclosure) telling me why I should not vote for Scott Brown, not helpful, please tell me why I should vote for her.  I have received only one response from the calls I have received – she will be the 60th vote for Health Care.  Well that is not a position (nor is the position that I will be 41st against a position either) which compels me to vote for her.

            <

            p>I want substance and I am not getting it, more disappointing from live people than robo calls as I feel bad hanging up on live people and not so much on computers (my problem, but others may have it too).  I know part of this is due to the shortened nature of the campaign.  However, I also fault Martha for her lazy, yes lazy, approach to the start of the campaign.

            <

            p>I want candidates that bring people together.  I voted for Obama because that is what he promised to do, he hasn’t.  Absent that I will do what I did last year, vote for change and this year change means Scott and not Martha.

            <

            p>You can argue, but that is where I am ending up (after having voted for Ted last time) as she has done nothing to convince me to vote for her as opposed to sending a very loud message to Washington to get your act in gear.

            • about why you should vote for him that you’re sold on him?  switching from a kennedy vote to brown vote is quite drastic.

              • And then Barrack cemented it:

                <

                p>1) Talked about how he sponsored an amendment to provide for conscientious objection for people with religious beliefs in giving certain “morning after” pills in the emergency room and elsewhere.  Sounded a lot different than the pamphlet I received with Scott Brown wants to refuse all these rape victims treatment so I googled it and the Brown caller was closer than the pamphlet.  Both were a little off but she was closer.

                <

                p>2) Said he supports health care reform but not the current bill in Congress.  Now I might have snickered at that until recent events.  My neighbor and I have been arguing about health care reform for a while.  We both agree it has to be done but disagree on approach.  However, we both were not happy with the tax on Cadillac plans as we both felt they taxed the middle class.  Then yesterday he comes over and says how you like that Cadillac Tax since you’ll be paying and I won’t.  Then he told me that Obama had agreed to exempt unions for the first 5 or 6 years (he wasn’t certain) but that I would have to pay.  Well that got me quite angry.  While I know that isn’t necessarily Martha’s fault, I cannot see Ted voting to assess taxes to one middle class tax payer (me) and not another (my neighbor who is a Carpenter) solely based on union affiliation.  Now maybe Ted would have done likewise, but I like to believe that he was for all middle class people not just those in unions.

                <

                p>We discussed more, but those two cemented it for me, sorry that President Obama had such a large role in it, but he did.  It may just be me, but I am afraid that there may be many more people like me out there that are unhappy with the approach to making this health care deal work and Martha’s lackadaisical campaign (until recently).

                <

                p>Thanks for asking.

                • You’re not a Democrat whose disappointment led him over to the Brown side.  You’re a Republican trying to “take back the government“:

                  <

                  p>

                  Why do we make it harder (5.00 / 1)
                  The national, state and local GOP has been branded as the party of “NO” by much of the media.  While we can debate whether this “branding” is appropriate or not, it will take valuable time away from our message.

                  Personally, I would prefer that the GOP stay away from “litmus tests” as I think that they are far too often self-defeating and, instead, focus on a positive platform of what we are for; smaller government, fiscal responsibility, ability of people to make the most of their opportunities, personal rights and liberties, the belief that people are the government and too many of our elected officials have forgotten that little, inconvenient fact and we need to take responsibility for what we have done and what we need to do to bring the country back on track to prosperity and the ability of people to be all that they can be.

                  This is the time to play to our strengths and let people know what we stand for (not against) and build the team that will set our country back on the road to further greatness.

                  Just my thoughts.
                  by: ConsEph @ Sat Nov 28, 2009 at 20:21:47 PM CST

                  <

                  p>You’re also lying about having received Coakley robocalls:

                  <

                  p>

                  Shucks (0.00 / 0)
                  Only have cellular phones so never get polling calls.  Where’s my shot at $1,500!
                  by: ConsEph @ Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 18:17:24 PM CST

              • ConsEph is a frequent poster over at RMG. Over there he’s identified as a Republican and talks about things like putting out more GOP candidates:

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                p>

                We, as a party, need to be fielding candidates in both those districts that we believe we have a chance of wining as well of those where the chances are considered less than optimal.  Here’s why I feel this way:

                1) In those districts with potential we need to make a strong effort to take a seat, two, five, etc.  We need to put forth a strong effort in terms of money and boots on the ground.  When Baker wins he will need all the help he can get in the Statehouse.

                2) In those districts where we do not feel we have a strong chance to win the seat we still need to field a strong candidate and good set of boots on the ground.  This will serve both as a training ground for republican campaign workers but will also force the incumbent to spend time and money ensuring that they maintain their position in the Lege.  Plus there is always the possibility that there could be an upset.

                The important aspect for all candidates is a commitment to run not once but two or three times.  We need to build a set of candidates with name recognition within the communities and this often takes multiple election attempts.  We cannot afford one and done candidates.

                <

                p>The “I want candidates that bring people together” line was the tipoff.  It made me curious, so I did a quick Google search.

        • i’m not involved in this campaign, but i know from others that it depends on whether you appear to be a reliable voter or not.  for example, if you’ve voted in most of the off-year and special elections in the past years, there is no reason to call you (using scarce resources) since they can be pretty sure you’ll vote.  since this is reportedly a tight race, i’d be trying to motivate my solid dem but more lazy voters to gotv.

    • … North Adams.

      <

      p>I was wondering why my wife was yelling “No!” into the phone before she slammed it down. It seems they were robo-push-polling as part of the call.

    • and enjoys the attention they get. Canvassing there in 2008 was fun, people were welcoming and receptive. Most thanked me for the conversation.

    • …suggest to them that they give up their precious first primary and you better be prepared to duck and run.

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