Ok everyone, it's Kerry, NOW CALM THE FUCK DOWN!

[Fearless]

This is fucking Massachusetts. Elizabeth Warren just beat Scott Brown. Her grassroots organization is still warm. It won't take anything to get them moving for the next Democratic candidate (when they run in 2014). In addition, when Kennedy passed, a lot of his staffers were shifted over to Kerry. The core of the Kennedy machine is still there. Plus Kerry kinda ran 5 successful Senate campaigns and his staff is clearly still around and looking for something to do.

The Senate is not going Republican in 2014. Kerry is not a self-serving traitor; he's going to have a strong and voiceful impact on the international stage. He is a strong anti-war, pro-liberal Democrat... "READ: NOT BLUE DOG DLC DEMOCRAT"... and will be a positive force on the Obama administration.

Plus as for possible candidates how're these for name recognition and liberal values, all of whom have rumors swirling around them:

Edward Kennedy Jr.
Ben Affleck
Barney Frank (although he denies it)
David Simas (former public opinion poll director for the Obama campaign)

Additionally:

"Gov. Deval Patrick admitted yesterday on WTKK that he has been besieged with calls from people looking for his backing as a candidate or asking him to appoint them as temporary replacement before the special election.

“People have reached out to me in confidence,” said Patrick, declining to discuss names. He said he would prefer that the person he appoints as a temporary fill-in doesn’t run for the seat.

One Democratic party insider said those considering a run are in a frenzied rush to start their campaigns, while trying to keep their activities under wraps until Obama makes his official announcement."

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2012/12/bay_state_pols_maneuvering_senate_contest

---------------

So chill the fuck out. We've got this!

And if there are any MA voters out there, please back me up here. DU doesn't need to panic over nothing.

[dlwickham]

1. didn't people say the same thing when Kennedy died

[Fearless]

3. No actually.

They ran a weak candidate who ran a poor campaign and who had poor name recognition.


Additionally:

"Brown polls far ahead of his possible, less-known Democratic foes? Sounds like 2011, when Brown polled far ahead of his possible, less-known Democratic foes, and 2009, when popular Attorney General Martha Coakley polled far ahead of her possible Republican foes."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/12/21/what_about_john_kerry_s_senate_seat.html

[rhett o rick]

9. How did it happen "they" ran a weak candidate? nm

[Fearless]

11. Because all four candidates who ran were weak.

In Massachusetts, the political set up is interesting. You NEED to be able to carry some of Western Mass to win... rural areas are very conservative. Likewise, you need to carry some of Southeastern Mass for the same reason... conservative religious and wealthy pockets. Any Democrat will carry Boston/Cambridge, Metrowest, Amherst/Northampton/Springfield/Holyoke. But you need to win the Sharon/Taunton/Plymouth/etc. cities as well (Bristol and Plymouth counties). Barney Frank was the Taunton area Rep. so it is possible, but you need to connect with voters. Southeastern Mass. was virtually ignored by Martha Coakley; she did not connect with the working person in the area and that is why she lost. I know, I lived there for 20+ years. I now live in Western MA and have for 8 years.

Here's a link to the map: http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/senate/results.html

She did not carry the population centers south of Boston. A candidate NEEDS them as I said, along with Western MA population centers (which any Dem would carry) and the rural areas which Coakley did REMARKABLY well in, and Boston and Metrowest, which she also did predictably well in.

During the primary, she has a clear victory, but only because the other candidates were that much weaker. All of the other candidates were very LOCALIZED in popularity. She was able to stick her neck out more and won the primary decisively. Yet, she was not all that popular in most of the state. The campaign had a hard time generating desire to come out to vote for her.

Link of the primary: (See if you even recognize any of the names!) http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2009/senate_primary/dem_primary_results.html

You'll also note that even in the Democratic Boston area stronghold, she split the vote with Capuano... thus leaving her as a second choice for many during the election.

[rhett o rick]

12. So the Democratic party didnt have someone groomed to step in? nm

[roguevalley]

13. I am tired of people telling us to ______THE FUCK DOWN,

UP, WHATEVER. Say what you want to without the bullshit. No one on this forum needs to shut the fuck up or calm down or whatever.

[rhett o rick]

15. I have no idea what you are talking about. I find it incredible that the

Party wasnt ready. We should always be thinking who we have ready as next in line.

[roguevalley]

28. Agreed. What I am tired of is profanity laced op's that scream at people who

either express concerns or whatever. That is what I find offensive.

[rhett o rick]

31. I totally agree. profane outrage does nothing to solve the problem.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

19. +1

[rhett o rick]

23. You give him a +1? His response didnt apply at all to my post? What the hell? nm

[rhett o rick]

24. I agree with your comment but I think you were aiming that at the OP. nm

[roguevalley]

27. I was, sweetie. These drop links are going to kill me. Sorry. :D

[Fearless]

14. Good politicians are not groomed they are born.

[rhett o rick]

17. Huh? Why were we as a party caught flat footed? Why didnt we have someone "born" ready to step in?

[Fearless]

20. We hadn't had a Senate vacancy in over 20 years!

Kennedy held his seat for the third longest in history! And I think, quite frankly, it both came as a shock and equally that no one wanted to try to assume Kennedy's seat from him. Those are very big shoes to fill and no one looked like a good candidate in comparison to him. Frankly, compared to him any candidate is crap.

[JI7]

25. She wasn't weak, she would have easily won if she just campaigned, she has won statewide before

but she decided to make stupid statements about how she doesn't even have to campaign and she has it.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. This Newtonian agrees: Brown hasn't a chance.

There is no real Republican party left in the state to back him, he's a spineless liar that's done bad stuff.

He's toast.

[11 Bravo]

4. Nate Silver puts Brown's chances at 50%, and Nate has a pretty fair track record.

[Fearless]

6. Against a generic opponent. Not a known one.

[graham4anything]

7. you're funny.

did you read the ENTIRE article, not just the one snippet?

the rest of the article says the Dems are up shits creek unless Vicky or Teddy runs.

[Fearless]

8. Link?

[Rex]

5. CALL CONGRESS RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!

DON'T ASK, JUST DO IT! GO GO GO GO!

[rhett o rick]

10. Got em on the line. Now what? nm

[NashvilleLefty]

16. Everyone is afraid that Brown will win again.....

The only reason he won in the first place was because he ran against an opponent that didn't even bother to campaign.

Warren was a Nationally known name, which was both to her advantage and to her detriment. The election was closer than any of us would have liked, but she was running against an incumbent, which is difficult in itself.

I'm not saying this will be easy - I'm not. It will be a difficult special election. But Brown is NOT a "shoe-in". He CAN be defeated. But it will require us to be serious, and a lot of effort on our part.

By having Kerry give up his Senate seat for "greater things", we are not automatically giving that seat to the Republicans.

Neither will it be an easy win. It's an off-season special election, so we have to work on a major GOTV campaign. Whoever the Dem candidate is, we need to give them our best support.

It will require hard work, which we are up to. Meanwhile, we are gaining an Excellent SoS! Hildog did a great job, and I have no doubt that Kerry will do just as good.

[graywarrior]

18. Yes, we've got this!

Brown can run all he wants. He won't win because he's a loser.

[Hekate]

21. "So chill the fuck out. We've got this!" Thank you

[hfojvt]

22. tell it to Senator Kathleen Sebelius

oh, wait ...

[Mass]

33. Did she ever run????

[hfojvt]

34. of course not, why would she?

Not after Obama picked her to be secretary of HHS.

Maybe she never intended to run in 2010 when her Governor term ended, but I was hoping she would and I thought she could win. She won statewide elections in 2002 and 2006. When Obama picked her for HHS it was devastating to the Kansas Democratic Party.

And it would help us at the national level to have another Democratic Senator and having a strong Senate candidate would have strengthened our whole ticket. Maybe we could have won one of the Congressional seats too, and not lost so many seats in the legislature.

[dballance]

26. So What Excuse is McInsane going to come up with to Filibuster?

Is he going to maintain that hard-line I'll oppose any nominee stance against his honorable senate associate?

[Fearless]

29. He won't

The Senate is the ol' boys club. He and Kerry get along.

[Leopolds Ghost]

30. At least Kerry's not invested $1 million dollars in Keystone pipeline

Issue #1 for our survival as a species.

Wait, that only makes it easier for them to ram it through since Kerry can stage a Nixon Goes to China on Keystone for the administration's behalf.

[Sirveri]

32. Does it even matter if Brown gets back in?

Dropping under 60 made it so we couldn't break the filibuster, dropping from 55 to 54 doesn't really change the dynamics much at all other than to give slightly more clout to the few remaining blue dogs.