Hello, my fellow 8%ers!
In our exclusive 7News-UMass Lowell poll of likely Democratic primary voters, it’s Coakley 52%; Grossman 20%, Berwick 9%, undecided 19%.
Our pollster, Dr. Joshua Dyck, says the outcome is as clear as the numbers:
Hiller asks: “How can Coakley lose this primary?
Dr Dyck says: “Right now it would take something catastrophic for her campaign. Short of a major scandal, she will become the nominee according to our poll.”Looking ahead to November, our poll predicts Coakley will face Republican Charlie Baker.
Currently, Coakley is winning among the state’s registered voters, with 41%. Baker gets 32%, independent Jeff McCormick 7%, and 17% are undecided.
If you haven’t been paying attention to this race–or any of the others–join the crowd!
Our poll shows only 8% of likely democratic primary voters are paying very close elections [sic] to the party’s contests, and you can’t blame the people who aren’t.
“Right now, there’s really nothing interesting going on in this primary,” Dr. Dyck says.
doubleman says
Sounds about right.
merrimackguy says
showed the day of the Gomez/Markey election besides her (and she only knew because I told her to go vote), zero percent of moms in town knew there even was an election.
People are clueless.
Jasiu says
And then there was this piece in the Globe today:
Even when it comes to the governor’s race:
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our little bubble here, we forget that the folks in this article are more representative of the bulk of the voters than we are. I don’t know how you run a down-ballot race in this sort of environment.
doubleman says
Get a small group to really like you and have an Irish last name?
ramuel-m-raagas says
CoakleyKerriganHealeyConroy
in my district:
WalshSullivan
I pray that the rest of Massachusetts voters think about the issues our candidates are running on:
cyber safety for our kids (as per my county’s district attorney)
criminal justice reform
Smart Gun fingerprint trigger lock technology
prosecuting student loan sharks
single payer health care
behavioral health care
accessible clinic entry for abortion clinic clients
manufacturing jobs
constructing jobs
I do not know how to get Mark Zuckerberg nor Iggy Azalea to endorse any of our candidates.
Candidates today face challenges drawing attention, but so do what had been established media: broadsheet newspapers, network and provider television.
Expensive television ads actually fall flat in sports pubs, because barflies just ignore them.
jconway says
I’m like the woman interviewed when it comes I all the down ballot races out here in Illinois, that said, I had planned to vote here this year and know a lot about this states race.
harmonywho says
How DO we make politics, elections, policy and legislation manageable and relevant to more people’s lives?
This OUGHT to be the interest of our local party committees, right? This OUGHT to be the raison dĕtre of the press, right?
Most people I know are embarrassed to not know who to vote for and too ashamed at how little they know that they don’t speak up and ask the questions that could change it. They don’t even know where to go to get the information for their questions. They know that campaign-sourced material is “biased”; they know that they should be critical readers of all news/media (“every source has a bias!”).
On the whole, I think people want to be informed and engaged, or at least know that they “should” be.
What can/should activists, insiders, Party people, advocates, pundits and bloggers do to change the culture / landscape enough that gives more people more and better points of entry?
At least jconway is someone who KNOWS what he should know and how it works. What about the busy working parents across the street who are worried about their bills and, vaguely, about the growing Middle East instability, and generally want better schools and get annoyed by the endless potholes on their way to work?
All those things are political/politics/policy, but the Civilian (non-activist-insider-advocate-blogger-pundit), I’m pretty sure, doesn’t see it that way. Not b/c s/he’s stupid but because there’s no tissue of explanation and discussion to make it all relevant.
We’ve got to change this; it’s everything!!
HeartlandDem says
I/we may never be the 1% but we got close with 8%!
striker57 says
the poll said:
David says
Robopoll. Not sure on whose behalf, but it was legit – no push polling or other sleazy tactics. The odd thing was that it asked about Governor, AG, and Treasurer … but not Lieutenant Governor.
Christopher says
No frills, just press 1 for this choice, 2 for that choice, etc. I suspect it was neutral research.
Pablo says
Holding a primary a week after Labor Day is a killer. We need a primary not later than June 15.
JimC says
How would more people be engaged if the primary was in June?
harmonywho says
September primary favors incumbents and established political players which, I suppose, is why there’s no political will to change it.
If I could rewrite the elections calendar:
– Caucus in January
– Convention in February
– Primary in April (Along with LOCAL ELECTIONS, same day)
– General in November
Who do I call to make my dreams come true?
jotaemei says
n/t
SomervilleTom says
I wonder how many times WHDH has led its evening or late news with a breaking story about the Democratic candidates stances on the casino bill. I wonder how many pieces WHDH has broadcast about the differences among the candidates on police brutality, militarization of police, and expansion of government surveillance.
How many pieces has WHDH broadcast about the continuing collapse of our public transportation system? How much air time have they devoted to showing the twice-daily 10-mile parking lot on I-93 between Boston and Woburn, and noting the utter absence of reasonable rail alternatives — even though three existing routes serve the corrider?
I’m sick to death of hearing the mainstream media whine about how “disinterested” the public is, while that same mainstream media does all in its power to create and maintain precisely that level of disinterest and voter ignorance.
doubleman says
Someone saw a shark on the Cape . . .
merrimackguy says
Not just the temp and chance of precipitation five times an hour, but whole discussions on meteorology (fronts, models, etc) every day.
Jasiu says
… that is the only reason to watch the local news. 🙂
johntmay says
New roads and bridges, better schools, and Medicare for all will not ad revenue to WHDH.
Christopher says
…I wouldn’t call a candidate’s stances breaking news.
jotaemei says
Some of them said that the candidates didn’t disagree on really anything. They left out specifically the areas in which they did disagree (addressing homelessness, the promotion of single care, and positions on casinos). There was a point here or there where I actually asked these reporters if they watched the whole debate.
jotaemei says
During the Wednesday night debate after Berwick said something, Grossman wanted to respond.
Keller snaps to Grossman, “Your rebuttal!”
Grossman started by explaining that he wasn’t going to give a rebuttal, but just add his thoughts about an issue.
Keller then did some awkward waving motion as if to indicate “Yeah, OK. Whatever, you know what I mean.”
This is abhorrent. It’s not only that the stations hardly cover issues that affect millions of people’s lives, but that especially those tasked and paid to cover politics couldn’t give less than a rat’s ass about policy, and seem to think the only coverage that justifies their employment that the public wants to be educated about is the horserace.
Some Boston Globe reporter last week started by going in the direction of item #1 here and then ended disappointed that there wasn’t any #3 for him.