A non-Coakley nominee would have allowed Baker to lock up the race weeks before the election, allowing the RGA to allocate more resources to Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island - as bad as 2014 was for Democrats, it could have been much worse.
Oh, don't get me started. The RGA and the NRSC wasting their money in NH in 2014 was the worst decision since Bush decided to contest CA in 2000. Maggie Hassan (aka Climbing Maggie) and Jeanne Shaheen were the safest incumbents running in 2014, no one could have beaten them. NO ONE.
Not sure about that, but beating Hassan in '14 would have made Kelly Ayotte safe this cycle.
Anyway, Coakley's loss was absolutely her fault. She blew a double-digit lead in one of the bluest states in the country and with a popular incumbent Democratic governor. I think there was a significant portion of the race where she didn't even campaign because she thought she had it locked up.
