"He instinctively can find the shining greatness of our American culture and does a good job of highlighting it (although he also does have those rare lapses when he writes about hockey, but that is something caused by impurities in the Eastern waters or something)." Erik Keilholtz
Under the patronage of St. Tammany
Mark C. N. Sullivan is an editor at a Massachusetts university. He is married and the father of three children. Email
Buoyed by a huge advantage with independents and relative disinterest from Democratic voters in the state, Republican Scott Brown leads Martha Coakley 48-47.
I had noticed that the powers-that-be in Massachusetts were acting kinda nervous, so maybe their own polls say something similar. It must be troubling when your push-pollers ask people if it would affect their vote if the guy was a Nazi and the respondents say “Nope, he’d still be better than Coakley.”
Legal Insurrection was manning phones at Brown HQ.
I arrived at around 11 a.m. The best description of the experience was that it was like one of those movies or commercials where everything is quiet until the actor opens a door, and then there is a blast of noise and light.
From the moment I arrived until I left about 5 hours later, the atmosphere was electric. I had not expected the frenzy of phones ringing, people walking in the door to write checks, dozens of people making calls to voters, and generally ebullient mood.
Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a big supporter of Scott Brown. So I claim no neutrality. And you can believe me or not when I tell you that there is an air of excitement and movement which is beyond belief.
They are out of lawn signs and bumper stickers. Completely. Nothing left, but people kept calling all day wanting to find out where they could get them. I was told it has been this way for days.
A reader in Massachusetts that I trust sends along word that each of the Boston papers will have a poll of the Senate race out this weekend. The Globe's poll, he hears, will have Coakley up by 15 percentage points. The Herald poll, he hears, will have it much closer—Coakley ahead by 7 percentage points among all voters, Coakley ahead by only 1 percentage point among likely voters.
Irish Elk is on the campaign trail for Scott Brown. Please consider clicking the button at left to contribute to the candidate the editors of National Review call the Man Who Can Stop Obamacare.
The Cook Political Report has downgraded the Massachusetts race from "Solid Democratic" to "Leans Democratic." Writes Jennifer Rubin at Commentary:So if the Massachusetts senate race isn’t “solid” Democratic what does this portend for Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Nevada and other less-Blue races in 2010? You understand now why so many Democrats are hanging it up “voluntarily.”
Mass. Citizens for Life is trying to get out the vote for Brown as the 41st vote against the health-care bill.
The comments at the Globe website on Vicki Kennedy's endorsement of Coakley make interesting reading.
Martha Coakley has gone into hiding:Globe columnist Brian McGrory wrote yesterday: Let's take a look at Coakley's campaign schedule for today. Well, actually, we can't. There isn't one. She isn't doing anything in public — no meetings with voters, no debates, no public appearances. For all we know, she's spending much of her time at home with the shades drawn waiting for Jan. 19, Election Day, to come and go.
Jim Geraghty at NRO passes along one number-cruncher's take that Brown has a 40-percent chance.
Geraghty also shares an e-mail from the late Dean Barnett's brother:
For what it's worth, I was at a Brown fundraiser last night, and there is palpable enthusiasm in Massachusetts. Even The Boston Globe had two articles yesterday that were highly negative for Coakley (one in which she dragged her feet in prosecuting a cop that had raped his two year old niece, another in which a columnist trashed her for refusing to debate Brown one-on-one). I'm pretty choosy about where I give my political donations, but this is a race well worth pursuing. He might not win, but a strong showing would be a dash of cold water to every Lincoln, Landrieu, Nelson, etc.
How many Democrats from swing states and districts would decide not to run for re-election (and how many strong Republican candidates would enter races) in late January/early February if Coakley were to win 53-47? Thus even by losing, if the race is competitive, it could do a world of good. And he might win, which would be of inestimable value.
I just finished a two hour shift calling for Scott his Cape Cod office not two miles from the Kennedy compound. You would not believe the positive reception he is getting. People aren't letting me finish the canned presentation before they jump in to say that they're with him. Incredible enthusiasm. They're all out of bumperstickers (not surprising because they're everywhere — no so for Martha) and lawn signs.
I think that Rasmussen's take that he's within 2 with those who plan to vote is going to flip. I think this is going to happen.
And the Nanepashemet blog named for the 17th-century Great Sachem of Irish Elk's hometown also has come out for Brown. This is pleasing to St. Tammany.
Two weeks before the vote Rasmussen has Republican Scott Brown trailing Democrat Martha Coakley by nine points – and by only two points among those who say they definitely plan to vote. Brown holds a big lead among independents.
Both candidates get better than 70% of the vote from members of their respective parties, but Brown leads 65% to 21% among voters not affiliated with either of the major parties. In Massachusetts, however, Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans and it is very difficult for the GOP to compete except in special circumstances.
Special elections are typically decided by who shows up to vote and it is clear from the data that Brown’s supporters are more enthusiastic. In fact, among those who are absolutely certain they will vote, Brown pulls to within two points of Coakley. That suggests a very low turnout will help the Republican and a higher turnout is better for the Democrat.
From now until 01/19, every day is Scott Brown day: donate and volunteer.
So far the national GOP hasn't been much help. Jules Crittenden wonders:
What’s always mystified me is why the national GOP showed so little interest in kicking off the 2010 mid-term elections with a strong showing, if not a win in Kennedy country … especially when that health thing could be riding on it. A revolt in the erstwhile Kennedy satrapy of Massachusetts, home of first-in-the-nation, budget-busting universal health care? That would make national headlines. And a heck of a Kennedy legacy.
If I were a GOP donor looking to put a thumb on the Bay State scales, I’d be inclined to send my check to the national GOP with “FOR SCOTT BROWN, YOU DOLTS” written in the memo line.
Theodore Roosevelt's Nine Reasons Why a Man Should Go to Church
1) In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.
2) Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling responsibility for others.
3) There are enough holidays for most of us. Sundays differ from other holidays in the fact that there are fifty-two of them every year. Therefore, on Sundays go to church.
4) Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man's own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.
5) He may not hear a good sermon at church. He will hear a sermon by a good man who, with his wife, is engaged all of the week in making hard lives a little easier.
6) He will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible. And if he is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss.
7) He will take part in the singing of some good hymns.
8) He will meet and nod or speak to good, quiet neighbors. He will come away feeling a little more charitable toward all the world, even toward those excessively foolish young men who regard churchgoing as a soft performance.
9) I advocate a man's joining in church work for the sake of showing his faith by his works.
On the plane ride home after last year's opening-game victory over the Bears in Chicago...Coach Otto Graham came down the aisle to congratulate him (Jurgensen had had one of his brilliant days) and to inquire about his passing arm, which had been operated on in May and had been paining him.
"Hurts like hell," said Sonny.
"Well, what do you think you should do about it?" asked Graham soothingly.
"I guess I'll have to drink with my left hand," said Sonny.
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