Elizabeth Warren goes on the offensive in Senate race

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: Reuters

BOSTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren took the offensive against Republican Senator Scott Brown on Saturday, attempting to put questions about her ethnic heritage in the rear-view mirror with a fiery speech at a state convention.
Warren's attack came as two opinion polls showed the rivals locked in a tight race for Brown's Senate seat for Massachusetts, one of the most closely watched Congressional contests in the November election, in which the Democrats are seeking to protect a slim Senate majority.
"Scott Brown is a Wall Street Republican. A big oil Republican. A Mitt Romney Republican," Warren said at the Democrat's state convention in Springfield, Massachusetts.
"We have seen where the Republicans want to drive this country, and it is ugly."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/democrat-warren-talks-tough-tight-senate-race-212100980.html

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[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It's about time she did that!

Go get him, Elizabeth!

[still_one]

1. What in the hell is wrong with Massachusetts? That it is this close only indicates how really

twisted the country has become

[calimary]

22. No kidding. There should be no contest here!

Unbelievable. Amazing how people are so willing to be hoodwinked.

[opihimoimoi]

1. About time.... :o) she will win if she keeps this up...the GOP stinks as a whole

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

4. She needs to focus on the idea that Brown will vote in lockstep w/ the GOP if re-elected

and point out that any moderation he displays now will evaporate the second he doesn't have to face the voters again for 6 years.

[Jamaal510]

5. I thought MA is supposed to be a Democratic-leaning state.

Why is this Senate race even this close?

[cprise]

6. Because Brown looks a heck of a lot more like Ted Kennedy

...than a small woman does.

Don't underestimate the power of visual cues on even the most 'progressive' electorates. When Ted Kennedy died the Republicans came along and quickly filled an emotional need before there was a chance to think. Coakley is an amateur and did not recognize the dynamics of the situation and did nothing to stem the effect or otherwise reassure voters.

I voted for her but on that day there was a tall, white, graying man standing near his 'Brown' placarded SUV outside my polling station. I'd assume they had other polling stations staked out to convey the same 'message'.

When a person becomes a fixture the way Kennedy had, there is an element of attachment. Supposing the same thing happened to, say, a Diane Feinstein then voters would gravitate to some degree toward a candidate that has the same look and bearing that she has.

[zazen]

9. I did that when I adopted a new rescue kitty--tried to match her

Big mistake, but as you write above, I was desolate. Any British Shorthair would do. I would hope I wouldn't vote that way, but you make a good point.

[druidity33]

13. yes, well...

it's true and it's not true.

The Eastern part of MA (Boston, the Cape, Salem, Worcester, etc) leans D, but many parts of Western MA are nearer to a close split and some lean R (Greenfield, Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Palmer, etc.)

Of course the City and surroundings also have their R areas. I live in a small town in Western MA (pop 1500 or so) and we've got lots of old farmers (R) and a fair few of the local younger folk (townies) who are proud Rs... we've also got a meditation center nearby, a few old hippies and their progeny. It pretty much evens out. I think my town has consistently voted for D candidates for state and National office at 60% or more, but occasionally a well respected R will win on the school board or State Senator ticket.

As for the Brown-Warren battle, unfortunately most people in MA actually find Scott Brown likable (which i will personally never understand)... and somehow believe he has done an OK job. That's not anecdotal, though i have heard non-engaged "Democrats" make that argument, there have been a few polls where i have been surprised at the approval of Brown by D's.

[Marrah_G]

14. Brown was originally elected because people were pissed off

AND the democratic he was running against phoned it in and frankly counted on "Mass is a blue state" for the win.

I think Warren will have no problem once she comes out and starts talking about fighting for the working class, the middle class.

[MADem]

16. No. Not true. We worked our asses off for the AG.

She was a bit stiff and reserved in her delivery (but that IS how she IS, and has always been), and she was a SHE. But Martha gave it her all--to say she "phoned it in" was just not accurate. The voters may not have showed up, but Brown had lots of GOTV and ad money from outside MA, which didn't hurt him at all. He worked very hard to motivate a particular subset of white male voters--and they frequently skip going to the polls.

Yes, Blue MA is a bit sexist. That's how Mitt Romney won the governorship--he ran against a woman who was much more qualified and smarter than he (but he had shitloads of money to buy airtime, plus he lied about how he would bring business to the Bay State).

MA has one of the very few black senators that ever served in the Senate in our nation's history...but look at how many women senators we've had? Let me save you time--the answer is ZERO.

I love my Bay State, but my Bay State can be a bit sexist. I think it's getting better but we're not front-runners by a long shot. EW is going to have to kick ass and take names--I think she can do it, but it's going to be a fight all the way.

Right now, Scott Brown is running, in HEAVY rotation, a TV ad that has him sitting on his ass drinking coffee. That's pretty much it. He sits on his ass drinking coffee and a stereotypical Bay State Waitress with a Rachel Dratch accent tells him that he deserves anutha cup. There's a bit of voice over patter about how he's "independent." Yeah, sure--he sits with the GOP delegation and has an R after his name. It's disgusting--first, that anyone would buy such content-free drivel, and second, that he has the unmitigated nerve to try to sell that kind of non-message to the voters. I suppose he has no option--he hasn't done shit save pose in his barn coat next to his truck for all the time he's been Senator. The guy is dumb as a sack of rocks--that alone should be a reason to toss him out on his ass...and throw that coffee cup after him.

[Mass]

18. More than 50% voters are unenrolled.

Brown is running as a moderate senator that has worked with Democrats. Of course, it is a fairy tale but, as long as he is not contradicted, it works.

I am happy to see she finally threw the gauntlet. It is about time.

After 5 weeks talking about something useless, reminding people who Brown is really is is what needs to be done. And nobody should hope the media will help. They will not. This is not because they are specially mean with Warren. It is because there are two main papers: Boston Herald is definitively RW and the Globe will bend backward to avoid looking biased towards dems. This has been like that for years.

[RBInMaine]

7. There is video of him begging Koch for $. HAMMER him w/it 1000 times !

GOOD ! Get the hell on BRUTAL OFFENSE and STAY THERE !

[RBInMaine]

8. She MUST drive up his NEGATIVES. And you do that by marrying him to the Kochs & by

brutally attacking him on every single vote he has taken for the corporate right wing and against the working people of Mass. and America. There is very good video of him begging David Koch for campaign money. Get it on TV along with other negative ads and play it a thousand times. Get on OFFENSE and STAY on OFFENSE !!

[xchrom]

10. Something Dems should do 24/7. Nt

[ibegurpard]

11. excellent!

[bec]

12. You know what the propblem is?

People just don't get it. They don't understand how Scott Brown votes affects their lives. They are not capable of connecting the dots.

[MADem]

15. It was a great speech, too. nt

[6502]

17. I am watching "War of The Worlds" on TV right now....

... and I notice how our situations against the Republicans, the Corporatists, and the 1% feels the same.

I feel honest fear and dread.

[Fearless]

19. Don't take your foot off the gas! FLOOR IT!! n/t

[Auggie]

20. +1

[lonestarnot]

21. K & R!