Comments on: Do the expedient thing

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:14:44 +0000

Bette: Let me just be clear that I’m not supporting Coakley or anyone else. I do think she’s going to be awfully tough to beat, but that’s a political observation, not an endorsement.

By: Bette

Bette — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:39:03 +0000

thanks, Mr. Kennedy, for seeing the truth of the matter. AG Coakley is leading because she is the best candidate, with credentials known to the entire state and has the intelligence and ability to present the case for issues before the Senate in a civil and sensible manner. Her record is better than any other candidate in the race. Go Martha, the Senate from MA needs you.

By: Al

Al — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:13:31 +0000

I think Capuano started out with the most money , if for no other reason than the fact that he is the only one of the candidates holding a federal office and thus with a federal campaign account. The big women’s push behind Coakley quickly erased that advantage. Khazei, with his big reporting surprised me. For those of us in the Boston media market, and as political junkies, we are familiar with Capuano. I think we can sometimes forget how unknown Reps, state and federal, are outside of their home districts.

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:46:18 +0000

Don’t remember who started out with the most money. But Coakley, to my mind, had a huge advantage in having run statewide before. I don’t think Capuano is well-known outside his congressional district.

By: BillH

BillH — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:09:25 +0000

Wasn’t it Capuano who started out with a huge advantage, given that he had a large federal campaign war chest, whereas Coakley’s state campaign money can’t be used in a federal race?

By: Dan Kennedy

Dan Kennedy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:52:14 +0000

Moreover, I’m not sure how far affection for Ted Kennedy extends to the rest of the family. Joe Kennedy could have won in a crowded field. But if it were, say, Joe K. versus Coakley one-on-one, I wouldn’t have ruled out Coakley.

By: InsiderNegot

InsiderNegot — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:50:12 +0000

Capuano’s whole theme is “If you can’t have a Kennedy, you can the next best thing, me”. He is trying to run on the Kennedy coat tails, and it is a flawed theory.

As proud as the people of Massachusetts were to return the Liberal Lion to the Senate time after time, they will be equally proud to send the first woman from Massachusetts.

I think the Kennedy family knows he is in trouble with only a tacid endorsement from Steven Smith. It seems to me that if Capuano is going to run as the non-Kennedy Kennedy, he better get the Kennedys out there.

By: mike_b1

mike_b1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:37:16 +0000

You give the voters too much credit for knowing Kirk’s background. I’d bet if you took a poll of Mass. voters right now, a strong majority couldn’t tell you who he is. It’s a bigger stretch to think the electorate sees him as a Kennedy extension. As such, Capauno had to point it out.

By: Veritas

Veritas — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:21:05 +0000

Not to mention the fact that Capuano started with well over 1 m in his account and Martha started with$0- Khazei has major press-BFF with Arianna, E.J. Dionne, Time editor etc.
They will give him lots of help but what has he done for the people of MA? Issues?

By: lkcape

lkcape — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:00:32 +0000

I suspect it had more to do with not wanting to buck he Kennedy machine unnecessarily than it has to to with ceding the seat to a Kennedy.

If he has you discussing the question of Coakley possibly being disrespectful of Saint Edward the Senator, then he may well placed the seed of doubt to grow as a poisonous weed in the field of roses that Coakley tries to sow.