Money Bomb for Scott Brown? [Archive] - Ron Paul Forums / Liberty Forest

tangent4ronpaul

12-10-2009, 06:16 PM

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/12/05/news/6560050.txt

Brown favorite; will be longshot

GOP Senate hopeful holds big lead in primary, but faces challenges ahead
Scott Brown is a heavy favorite to win the Republican special primary election for U.S. Senate Tuesday, but circumstances will change dramatically if he makes it into the general election, according to political analysts.

Brown, a state senator from Wrentham, has a backload of goodwill and a solidly conservative record going for him when he is judged by fellow Republicans in the primary.

"Our area is extremely familiar with Scott's work ethic and dedication to the people he's been elected to serve. Local Republicans have gotten to know him personally and worked alongside him, they like him and know they can trust him," Republican State Committee member Danielle Fish of Mansfield said.

Polls show Brown with overwhelming support among Republicans and his lone primary opponent, Jack E. Robinson, trailing badly. One poll had Robinson's support at only 7 percent.

But in a contest with the Democratic nominee Brown will find he is largely unknown across the state, has only a month during the holiday season to get his message out and has a tiny base to build on because Republicans represent only 11 percent of Massachusetts voters, they said.
Money will be another problem.

In the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, Brown had raised $467,000 so far and had $257,000 in the bank. State Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic frontrunner, took in $4.1 million and had $1.9 million on hand.

"He has huge political disadvantages," Maurice Cunningham, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said of Brown.

Cunningham said Brown made a big mistake in the primary by refusing to engage in more debates with Robinson.

Debates would have given Brown free exposure and prepared him for debating a more experienced Democrat in the general special election. The Democrats have held several debates.

"They have been sparring. Brown will be going in cold into a new environment," he said.

Brown has not tried to extend his reach, sticking to Republican positions of opposing President Obama's economic stimulus package, opposing health care reform and supporting an escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

Cunningham said he is not sure those are winning positions in a general election in Massachusetts, especially supporting the war.

But Republicans said voters may be so fed up with high unemployment, deficit spending and health care reform that they will consider voting for a Republican for U.S. Senate for the first time since Edward Brooke was re-elected in 1972.

"People are upset. People are concerned," state Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield, said.
Barrows said Brown has effectively made a case that national health care reform would hurt Massachusetts.

"That's the kind of stuff that resonates with people," he said.

He also noted that Republicans recently won races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey largely because of the economy.

Fish said voters are fed up with big government and that will help Brown.

"Nobody should consider this a slam-dunk for the Democrats," she said.

Even some Democrats are not counting Brown out.

State Rep. Bill Bowles, D-Attleboro, said that with Democrats controlling the White House, Congress, the governor's office and the state Legislature voters could blame the party for the recession.

"We're all keenly aware as Democrats that this is a very, very tough economy," Bowles said.

Still, polls show Brown would be a long-shot candidate in the Jan 19 general special election.

Cunningham said there is a belief among voters that Brown is just running to get his name known so he can run for a state office next year.

parocks

12-10-2009, 06:47 PM

That's a solid argument. On the other hand, the 3rd Party candidate, Joe Kennedy, is running as an Independent, and is a Liberty candidate. He makes reference to Tea Party, December 16, on his website.
http://joekennedyforsenate.com/

Democrats in Massachusetts need to know that Joe Kennedy is running for Senate. They don't need to know that it's not the Joe Kennedy that they know and like.

I'd be interested in knowing what people here think about Brown vs. Kennedy.

Brown is more likely to win than Kennedy. It is important to stop Obama. Brown may be a RINO (I don't know).

Kennedy is much better on the issues.

He's a R running for Kennedy's Senate seat.

If he wins, the Dems will no longer be able to push anything they want through the Senate on a party line vote. It would go from 60/40 to 59/41 and they need 60 to impose their will on us. This is a VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION!

The election is January 19th.

http://www.brownforussenate.com/

-t