Blue Mass Group

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Will Business as Usual Win in Massachusetts on 2/5?

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The latest poll, taken a few weeks ago, showed Senator Clinton with a 37% lead over Senator Obama in Massachusetts.

But the momentum here has shifted. David’s endorsement, of course. John F. Kennedy’s endorsement — or the closest thing to it. John Kerry. Deval Patrick. All those newspapers: the Globe, the Springfield Republican, the Bay State Banner, the Daily News Tribune.

And on the other side: Sal DiMasi and Therese Murray.

There’s your choice.

Or Edwards, of course.

I wonder how that 37% lead will hold up on election day? Personally, I bet it’s already down to less than half.

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  1. is there any point in such speculation?  we will know the truth soon enough.  at this point, i see too much mud slinging among friends, and too little real analysis.  i wish that if you are going to pose such a question, you would pose it in a less inflammatory way.

  2. I’m changing my vote, go Barack!  đŸ˜‰

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    p>I can’t see it being 37%, I don’t think the state that voted for George McGovern votes business as usual.  Hillary also has Barney Frank, Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch and Therese Murray.

  3. Business as usual is a bad thing, apparently. But still you cite endorsements by long serving elected officials (Deval excepted) and, gulp, endorsements from the main stream media?!?!?!

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    p>And are you using the Fox News barometer for Fair and Balanced?

  4. Although I’m voting for Obama- endorsements do mean something sometimes; I’m following the governor’s lead on this one- Clinton is a good candidate, too, so I won’t be tremendously upset if she takes Massachusetts. Or the nomination. Either one would make a good nominee and president.  
    (But I still harbor an irrational and unquantifiable dislike for Edwards, so I probably would be equally stunned and annoyed if he won Massachusetts….)  

  5. do not seem that trustworthy. I simply do not believe she can have such an advantage, especially not with the large student population.

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    p>Also, Uncle Ted’s endorsement does mean something to me. In fact, I know of no other person in politics that could have changed my mind, but his endorsement signifies to me that Obama has arrived and is viewed as viable by many in the establishment.

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    p>I’d love to see Obama-Webb go against  McCain.

    • …but I can imagine her winning.  Who is going to vote for Obama post-Deval that wasn’t going to vote for him beforehand?

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      p>The Kennedy vote may have some impact, though again I’m not sure what he adds.

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      p>This is a state used to progressivism, but pragmatism as well.  We elected Republican governors, and continue to elect moderate Democrats.  Obama wrote off our state a while ago, and he may have been wise to do so.

  6. This post conveniently has forgotten that the first female Senate President in the history of the Commonwealth has endorsed Senator Clinton for President. Also, Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral, and Boston City Council President Maureen Feeney. By not recognizing the endorsements of these women in Massachusetts politics, this post inadvertently supports what the Senate President named this morning at the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus breakfast: a pattern of influential Democratic men unwilling to support Senator Clinton and dismiss women’s endorsements.

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    p>We’ve had good long conversations on this blog about the sexism in politics and specifically about how sexism has impacted Senator Clinton’s campaign. But seriously, we’ve got elected women serving in some of the highest offices in our state, and you failed to include them on your list of endorsements. Their positions are important, and endorsements are real.  

    • I added in Murray for Clinton.

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      p>I didn’t add in the others because although they are all important they aren’t as powerful as the heads of the legislature, the Governor and our Senators.

      <

      p>Thanks!

      • more powerful women……  

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        p>By the way, some might say that Maureen Feeney, Chair of the Boston City Council is pretty powerful, although not as powerful as Mayor Menino, who also is a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton.  

    • This is not about women candidates nor african-american candidate candidates. This is about candidates.

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      p>I will vote “against” Hillary not because she is a woman … I will vote against her because she is not a good Democratic candidate.

      <

      p>In fact, RCP claims that only Hillary can reunite the Republican Party.

      • but there are a lot of ordinary women out there who would disagree.  I have been hearing from them for the past two days since Kennedy announced and they are very, very upset by Kennedy’s endorsements.  They would have preferred it if he had stayed out of the race.  Thses women vote and they are calling and emailing all their friends to vote for Hillary Clinton.  The ones I talked to see a more  qualified woman getting the shaft yet again by a bunch of men. They understand what that is like because they have been through that themselves.  The ones I have talked to already supported Hillary Clinton because of her qualifications, but now they are energized to do even more to make sure she wins the nomination.    

        • Vote for so and so because he or she is black or white.
          Vote for XYZ beacause the individual is of a particular gender or sexual orientation.

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          p>Does anyone vote for the content of a persons brain, forceful leadership, courage and stamina, ethics? Pretty sad.

          <

          p>I would not vote for HRC under any circumstance simply because of her ethical lapses and her racacious need for power. The only politician that I can equate her to is LBJ.
          Unfortunately with HRC you get her unfortunate husband. Another, who has problems with ethics.

          <

          p>Barak delivers inspiration. Can he deliver tangible results?  

          • i vote for the entire candidate, not just their biological attributes.  so now you know that the answer to your question “Does anyone vote for the content of a persons brain, forceful leadership, courage and stamina, ethics?” is ‘yes’.  feel better now?

        • For one, my wife, a former HRC supporter, has been working on me for a week now to vote for Obama.

    • but none of those women are wildly popular in the Commonwealth or even Boston proper for that matter — not to say they are unpopular either. I think there endorsements should of course not be hidden, but I also doubt they will have much material impact on the race.

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      p>I think that the Kerry and Kennedy endorsements are by far the most significant ones from state politicians because they are both known by everybody in the state, are both former Presidential candidates themselves, and in Kennedy’s case because he is the patriarch of one of the most famous extant political families in the US. They put a real stamp of legitimacy on Obama’s campaign, which some people felt he lacked.

      • But especially because of Uncle Teddy’s endorsement.  What breathtaking hypocrisy to announce that “We need new energy. We need someone who can bring people together. People are basically saying that they want to new day and a new generation.”  Really?  Does that mean you’re finally going to give up your senate seat after four decades?  Because we need “new entergy” and “a new day and a new generation.”

        <

        p>  

        • I don’t see what is so hypocritical about wanting to see new energy in the White House while still wanting to continue to serve as a Senator.

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          p>Somehow I really doubt that Kennedy’s endorsement had all that much to do with your decision, or are you saying that if he had made a similar endorsement for Hillary, you would not voter for her?

          • for “certain” seats – but not his own.  I hope some young, smart woman goes after his seat.  After all, we need new energy and change!

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            p>Ted’s endorsement never would have swayed me – but he does sway some voters.  Actually, I’m using Ted’s endorsement as “bulletin board” material, much like the Pat’s use ill-advised quotes in the paper.  C’mon sisters – let’s not let our sister down.  

            • Every time someone accuses one candidate or another of hypocrisy — it doesn’t matter who — my eyes start to glaze over. Any politician can be painted as a hypocrite many times over. So what?

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              p>Ted could just as well made many of the same comments but endorsed Clinton instead. Would you be jumping out with charges of hypocrisy then? If not, doesn’t that make you a hypocrite?

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              p>When I read you saying “let’s not let our sister down”, it makes it seem that you expect all women to vote for Clinton purely because she is a woman. Does that mean that I am going to have to end up voting for Romney or McCain to match my white male identity? What about all of the women who voted for Deval Patrick instead of Kerry Healey — did they betray their gender?

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              p>Can’t we just try to focus on the candidates as people and less on their race and gender?

              <

              p>

  7. …I didn’t realize that the choice next Tuesday came down to Deval, Kerry and Kennedy vs. Sal DiMasi.

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    p>I thought it was between Clinton, Edwards and Obama…I must have been confused.

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    p>Are endorsements really that important to you in deciding who you vote for, Bob?  If so, you forgot to mention that Congressman Barney Frank, Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Richard Neal, Mayor Menino, Sheriff Andrea Cabral, and Senate President Therese Murray have all endorsed Hillary Clinton.

  8. to those in Mass.

    <

    p>They haven’t picked different candidates in their respective primaries since 1980, when Kennedy beat Carter in Mass. (of course). 76′ and 72′ also had different outcomes.  

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