TPMDC
Rothenberg Moves MA-SEN To 'Leans Takeover'
Senator-elect Scott Brown (R-MA)
Share
Send to a friend!
Rothenberg Political Report today moved the Massachusetts Senate special election from a "tossup" rating to "leans takeover."
"Brown is running extremely well with Independents in the Bay State, and unless Democratic turnout exceeds everyone's expectations, Brown is headed for a comfortable win," Rothenberg writes.
Cook Political Report, on the other hand, issued a statement yesterday saying the race is still in their "tossup" column, writing, "This race could still go either way, but we put a finger on the scale for Brown."
The seat, which belonged to the late Ted Kennedy, is now held by interim Sen. Paul Kirk (D). Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley, as well as Libertarian Joe Kennedy, are vying for the seat.
Comments (17) | Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
Most Popular
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2010 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Michael A
January 18, 2010 12:07 PM
He actually is a much better candidate than she is.
I guess it's karma. Massachusetts screwed around when Kerry was running to not allow the governor to appoint the senator until the next election because the governor was a repuke. Now look what has happened. The dems could lose the seat. What kind of message does that send? Look out 2010. It may be a slaughter and we will have teabaggers in congress? How insane is that?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JohnMcCSF
January 18, 2010 12:10 PM in reply to Michael A
I don't think it is possible to exaggerate just how insane it is
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
masanf
January 18, 2010 12:40 PM in reply to Michael A
Almost as insane as people who use the term teabagger and then think it doesn't make them look like juvenile morons. And almost as insane as the level of sycophancy that would lead someeone to use a picture of Barack Obama as their avatar.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Michael A
January 18, 2010 12:45 PM in reply to masanf
Uh, the original name that was employed by the teabaggers was teabagger. When the stupidity of the name was pointed out, they changed it to tea partier, which is just as stupid and juvenile. They should just use the term KKK, but that would reveal their true lack of a legitimate agenda.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
masanf
January 18, 2010 1:20 PM in reply to Michael A
Yeah, there was one dude with a sign that said teabagger. Call themselves the KKK? Because evidently opposition to the Obama agenda is racist. If that is the case, then even the majority of Massachusetts is racist now it seems.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Michael A
January 18, 2010 1:25 PM in reply to masanf
I recall train wreck beck touting the term teabagger and referring to teabaggers for several months, until it was pointed out with people with 1/2 a brain what the term meant. Nice way you twist the racist teabaggers into a "majority" "opposed to the obama agenda." Typical.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
i said GOOD DAY sir
January 18, 2010 12:19 PM
This analysis is just wrong. Coakley's internals show her up. She's going to win this thing if we GOTV.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
masanf
January 18, 2010 12:41 PM in reply to i said GOOD DAY sir
Yeah, when all other polls show Brown increasing his lead, I just bet the ONE poll that shows a 5% swing in two days is accurate. Yeah, sure it is.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
January 18, 2010 12:30 PM
The silver lining to the darkening shitstorm clouds is that if she pulls it off, it'll be seen as a huge upset that could be spun as puncturing the over-inflated generalities of the Teabaggers.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
masanf
January 18, 2010 1:25 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Uh, the Tea Party movement has had almost no presence at all in the state or in this race, so that claim is pure bullshit. Brown is a liberal Republican. A huge upset if a Democrat wins in Massachusetts? Don't think so genius. If Brown wins it will be considered the huge upset.
But hey, you go ahead and keep up your delusions. The delusional thinking that people want the far-left Obama agenda crammed down their throat's is what has caused the race to be as tight as it is, in the most liberal state in the union. If the Dems are having this kind of problem now, just think what it will be like in states that aren't farther to the left than Eugene Debs.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Michael A
January 18, 2010 1:27 PM in reply to masanf
Is this why they refer to themselves as teabaggers?
"The delusional thinking that people want the far-left Obama agenda crammed down their throat's"
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Nutter
January 18, 2010 2:32 PM in reply to masanf
And if she wins, would you shut up? Or would it be Coleman 2009 all over again? Or maybe NY-23?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Schmed
January 18, 2010 4:10 PM in reply to Nutter
Uh, the Tea Party movement has had almost no presence at all in the state or in this race....
....except for supplying 95% of Brown's money. I guess influence isn't the same as presence.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Schmed
January 18, 2010 4:13 PM in reply to Schmed
Damn, must have clicked the wrong reply link. Sorry.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
kenga
January 18, 2010 2:35 PM in reply to masanf
Uh, the Tea Party movement has had almost no presence at all in the state or in this race, so that claim is pure bullshit.
Sorry, but I'm pretty sure you're wrong. There isn't a huge native Tea Party presence, but they've been recruiting from RI and NH and Boston-market conservative talk shows are chiming in too.(I know this from personal testimonials.)
And there are a fair number of fellow travelers that haven't signed up for any Tea Party mailing lists or shown up at rallies.
The meme I've found doing the email rounds is that Brown has better than even odds of pulling off a win - and that seems to be supported by most of the polling. As a consequence, Brown supporters(Tea Party or no) are going into it with a similar enthusiasm as Patriots fans did for Superbowl XLII - there is just no way Eli Manning can win a Superbowl.
So, in many minds, a Coakley win WILL be an upset.
A bigger problem is the delusional thinking that considers Obama and mainstream Democrats to be "far-left". That particular idiocy, and more so the constant and deafening prattle declaring it, is very concerning to any thinking American.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Schmed
January 18, 2010 4:12 PM in reply to masanf
Uh, the Tea Party movement has had almost no presence at all in the state or in this race....
....except for supplying 95% of Brown's money. I guess influence isn't the same as presence.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ejg3
January 18, 2010 1:18 PM
Tip O'Neill in one of his books about his own career has a story about a long time neighbor who didn't vote for him in a primary because he never asked her. Coakley made the same mistake by appearing aloof and arrogant after the primary and the pundits probably making even more of this. Ted Kenedy was a Happy Warrior and enthusiatic campaigner which she is not and Coakley seems to have all the passion of Mike Dukakis. Hopefully organization and overall registration numbers will pull it out for her but if she doesn't wim the lessons from the lost must be applied to other campaigns to prevent repetition.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?