I know Martha Coakley really is running for the Senate seat, so my title is a bit of a poke in her direction. What strikes me, as a relatively active Democrat, is the silence from her campaign. I suspect she’s holding her fire on TV advertising, but she’s losing the advantage she has as the only candidate with statewide name recognition. With two candidates selling themselves on TV, she’ll be reintroducing herself when they are past that phase and on to issue advertising.
Beyond the advertising issue, I don’t see evidence that Coakley is building the ground game operation she’s going to need on primary day. In contrast, Capuano is reaching out hard to registered Democrats, holding lots of forums, phone town halls, and other events that get active democrats into the game and into his camp. Going to her web site, I see very few campaign events for her around the state-lots of phone banking, but where is she?
I’m curious about what I assume is the intended strategy of waiting until the primary is closer before starting the visible push. I’m not sure this is a good time to have a “quiet period.” Is anyone else seeing this differently?
Anyone who’s been to any event that has anything to do with this race has seen Martha volunteers out there in force. At the SEIU candidates forum there were so many people standing out in the rain–how could you mistake that for a lack of “the ground game operation she’s going to need on primary day”? I’ve been to several myself and have been impressed every time by the campaign’s ability to turn people out from the grassroots. Ground game is about that–the grassroots–not how many times you see the candidate. People are lined up behind Martha. I hear that at the recent Falmouth committee event or lunch or whatever it was Martha people were out 5 to 1 over Capuano, not to mention the other two.
…but aside from the Internets, I”ve seen many more Coakley volunteers and materials around.
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p>And while everyone else is blowing money trying to up name recognition, I imagine Coakley is prepping for a final blitz.
…at least as often as the others.
I am glad to hear that she’s out and about. I really haven’t been living under a rock, and I really haven’t personally seen much activity from her campaign. I have gotten a couple of calls from Capuano’s campaign, a mailing from Pag’s campaign, and have gotten fundraising appeals from several other candidates not running for Senate, but haven’t heard a peep from Coakley’s people, nor seen her in my area, nor seen any of her volunteers. I don’t recall seeing any TV advertising for her, in contrast to the ads for Capuano and Pags. I do note that she’s on OTR this weekend, with a debate to follow next week, so perhaps that will mark the start of a wider visibility campaign.
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p>I really thought that of all the candidates, she’d do the best job of reaching out to potential voters, especially registered Democrats who have voted in every election for years (and who are still undecided in this primary). So I’ve been a bit surprised at the absence of campaign materials,contacts, and appearances. Perhaps I haven’t paid sufficient attention, but I have been paying attention.
Martha Coakley is executing, articulating, and proving her senatorial ability.
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p>Any candidate can get a kid to stand on the street corner with a sign, any candidate can send out a streamlined message to an anonymous, detached email list; with a webcam and a couple of bones any candidate can make a cheesy TV advertisement to showcase insincere sound bites.
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p>Martha’s work, Martha’s visions, Martha’s two decades of service are a deep tissue initiative- Martha Coakley is more than a campaign, she’s an honest to goodness advocate and the work she’s doing and has done speaks for itself.
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p>Coakley is running a different campaign: a better one. She knows that you, as an intelligent free thinking democrat, are more interested in her ideas, in her plan of actions than you are in bumper stickers and buttons- she knows you deserve a more comprehensive answer for why she deserves your vote.
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p>Martha is delivering those comprehensive answers on the most pressing issues, and in doing so, she’s proving she is ready to go – not only did she get in this race early, not only did she raise more money than her opponents did in the first month, in the last two weeks, she’s released thoughtful, thorough papers on financial regulatory overhaul and health care reform deliver what matters more than any of the pandering aspects of a campaign- she delivers a plan of action.
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True, especially on financial regulatory overhaul and health care reform.
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p>We should be able to evaluate the work Martha Coakley has done over the last decade with the benefit of her engagement in a Q&A. As a prospective Senator, she should be responsive to questions and use them as an opportunity to show us the merit of her position, as well as her regrets, and showcase her adriot cognitive and verbal skills, especially in her handling of difficult questions.
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p>Given Thursday’s referral of the Menino adminstration public records destruction case to Coakley by Galvin, and Coakley’s foreknowledge of stonewalling by Menino’s people (as of Oct 7), I am specifically interested in why AG Coakley refused to answer questions about the nature of her office’s involvement in the Boston City Hall public records case between Oct 7 and Oct 22.
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p>I am also interested in her offices decision to have the Sec State pursue the investigation from Sep 4 to Oct 7 without her law office’s involvement with all of its investigative expertise and cyber crime lab.
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p>There other questions about Coakley’s service that are reasonable to ask and reasonable to expect an answer. Martha needs to step up to the microphone and answer questions, thus proving “proving her senatorial ability.”
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p>Here are some things I’d like hear Martha Coakley talk about in addition to her health care reform policy and financial reform policy;
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p>1) her work arguing Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts in the Supreme Court and why the state’s interest in crime lab resource management is more compelling than the individual’s right to question the “scientific process” used in the crime lab to produce the “scientific evidence”
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p>2) why opposing Gerald Armirault’s commutation was in the best interest of justice
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p>3) why charging Louise Woodward with second degree murder was the right decision at the time, what evidence did she and Tom Reilly have regarding intent, whether the reduction in sentence to manslaughter was in the best interest of justice
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p>4) how, after dropping charges, it served the Commonwealth’s interests in justice to compel the enterprising (and exculpated – not guilty hoax terrorists) Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens to apologize and perform community service as if they were guilty. Why the state did not reimburse their legal expenses having received a $2 million payment from Turner – $1 million for first responder costs and $1 million for good faith. Where was Martha Coakley’s good faith in dealing with Peter and Sean?
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p>5) what evidence of wrongful convictions in capital crime cases came to Martha Coakley’s attention in 2002 (but not before) that made her reconsider her death penalty position? Given her belief that the death penalty does not have a deterrent effect, why elevate the penalty exclusively for murders of policemen and incarcerated murderers?
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p>These are all real life public service issues Coakley had the authority to command. If she is the best candidate for US Senate, she will demonstrate her ability to engage in q&A about them and leave us with the firm belief that she can handle the challenge of questions about her decisions.
If she’s leading in polls, she’ll save her money. Didn’t a recent poll show her far ahead?
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p>Right now, I’d guess she’s busy lining up support. I received a phone call about 6 weeks ago. I’m not a player, but my friend, who has been more active in campaign work, has also been contacted.
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p>I haven’t pledged my vote to Mike Capuano yet, but I did get a call from the Massachusetts Teachers Association this afternoon asking me about it.
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p>Mark
Coakely has as many if not more negatives than all the dem candidates combined.