“Why?” you may ask. “Those people don’t know anything,” or “Those people don’t vote,” you might say. But, let’s face it, today they’re more excited than the average registered Democrat, and probably more active and organized.
Massachusetts voters have often punished qualified, traditional, experienced Democratic candidates in state-wide elections (Mark Roosevelt, Shannon O’Brien and Tom Reilly come to mind). In the current climate it’s quite possible that Republican voters will turn out at a very high rate. In and of itself, that’s not a big problem. The problem lies with unaffiliated voters, who may be swayed by anti-DC and anti-Beacon Hill rhetoric, or appeals to “stop the spending”, and so on.
Discounting Pagliuca – his credibility with progressives seems limited at best – that leaves the three candidates with some progressive track records in public service. And of those three, only Khazei is immune to anti-government, anti-incumbent sentiment. And Khazei’s lack of a political resume would probably be an advantage with independent voters.
I’ve spoken to conservative Democrats who find Khazei the most appealing (or maybe the least unappealing) because he doesn’t speak in political shorthand, trotting out the same phrases Democrats have been using for decades. Among independent voters, my sense is that Khazei has the least baggage and the most general purpose appeal. He also doesn’t present as big a target to potential GOP assailants – there are advantages to being the new kid on the block.
i don’t see anti-government teabaggers choosing the Democratic cnadidate no matter who it is.
Khazei is also the candidate most likely to get hurt by the inexperience argument or dismissed as a “pie in the sky” liberal. I don’t think he’ll play nearly as well in the general as he may in the primary.
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p>Without a MAJOR scandal scuttling the Democratic primary winner, the general is not going to be a close battle at all.