Kennedy Special Election Omnibus Thread

[Brittain33]

Capuano declined an opportunity to say he wouldn't run, saying (on Weds.) that today wasn't the day to answer questions like this. That doesn't tell us anything we didn't know already.

[War on Want]

I guess I'm going for Capuano.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I guess I'm going for Capuano.

I want to see him vetted first.

[Marokai Backbeat]

God, I was thinking Coakley would be the best choice, but there must be something wrong with her if Walter *and* Mr. M both like her.

I was thinking the same, no offense to MM or Walter.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I was thinking the same, no offense to MM or Walter.

I think it's more a testament to her focus on work over partisanship.  I'll grant that I don't know much about her other than the fact that she's been a good prosecutor and Attorney General.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Oh, and lest we forget, WaPo has speculation over who Patrick will name once the legislature crams through a change to succession law:

Former Gov. Mike Dukakis  (ugh)
Former AG Scott Harshbarger (ugh)
Former Treasurer Shannon O'Brien (ughx2)
Paul G. Kirk, chairman of the JFK Pres. Library

[WalterMitty]

dukakis is the best choice for caretaker.

[Kevinstat]

Mr. Moderate's mentions of Harshbarger and O'Brien got me thiking of another Democratic gubernatorial candidate from the wilderness years (not that Democrats in Massachusetts were really in the political wilderness during that time, but they were out of the Governor's mansion for 16 years).  Might Governor Patrick appoint Robert Reich as caretaker.  I imagine he'd vote much like Ted Kennedy would have on health care, although perhaps Reich wouldn't be as willing to compromise to the extent that increasingly seems likely to be necessary.  Does anyone here know who Patrick supported for Governor in the Democratic primary in 2002?  That might provide some clues as to whom he might appoint as caretaker if he is given the chance.  Of course, that was a campaign for a full-term and an endorsment from whatever Patrick was at the time is not the same as a Gubernatorial appointment.

[Ronnie]

dukakis is the best choice for caretaker.

*vomits*

[Lunar]

some sox player is in the running for the GOP nom, if the Dems ended up with a 25% plurality weak candidate, that could materialize into 59 Dem senators.... probs not gonnaz happen though

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I guess we still don't know who is actually going to run in this Massachusetts Senate election, but Ted Kennedy III has announced for the 2044 election (that's John Kerry's seat).

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/29/kennedy-announces-for-senate/

[Lunar]

how is that not an Onion story

[bgwah]

I guess we still don't know who is actually going to run in this Massachusetts Senate election, but Ted Kennedy III has announced for the 2044 election (that's John Kerry's seat).

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/29/kennedy-announces-for-senate/

Awesome.

[Meeker]

Kid needs to cut his hair.

[You kip if you want to...]

dukakis is the best choice for caretaker.

That'd actually be pretty cool, but he'd never get it.

[pogo stick]

I'd like to see Former Lt. Gov Kerry Healey to be the GOP Nominee. IDK what her chances are but she can't  be that bad of a choice.


So yea.

[Brittain33]

I'd like to see Former Lt. Gov Kerry Healey to be the GOP Nominee. IDK what her chances are but she can't  be that bad of a choice.

Her run for Governor was a career-ender. She humiliated herself and gave Patrick a landslide.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

IDK what her chances are

oh oh me me i do i do



zero.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Meanwhile, in the real world...!

We have bi-partisan consensus as to who should fill Kennedy's seat for the interim (even though it's not legal to do so yet—technicalities, technicalities):

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The article also mentions former Rep. Kennedy as a possible candidate for the Senate special election, specifically that he's being urged by his fellow Kennedys to run.

The Boston Globe adds that if Kennedy gets into the race, it'll be a lot less exciting (and crowded):

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Not much news on the GOP side, except confirmation from sources that Former LG Kerry Healey is considering a run.  (Yawn.)

[Dan the Roman]

Joe Kennedy is not some 800lb gorilla despite what the Kennedy-loving press wants to believe. There is no way he would clear the field when he failed to clear a much weaker field in 1998 for Governor, and is a much weaker and more controversial candidate now. The candidates who are considering dropping out are candidates without independent bases of support who need to win with 20%. Coakley is not going to be scared by Kennedy, nor is Lynch likely to be.

[Brittain33]

Joe Kennedy is not some 800lb gorilla despite what the Kennedy-loving press wants to believe. There is no way he would clear the field when he failed to clear a much weaker field in 1998 for Governor, and is a much weaker and more controversial candidate now. The candidates who are considering dropping out are candidates without independent bases of support who need to win with 20%. Coakley is not going to be scared by Kennedy, nor is Lynch likely to be.

The Globe said that Capuano and Markey said they would defer to Kennedy, interestingly. That doesn't clear the field but it does reshape it (and means less chance for a monorail for me.)

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Joe Kennedy is not some 800lb gorilla despite what the Kennedy-loving press wants to believe. There is no way he would clear the field when he failed to clear a much weaker field in 1998 for Governor, and is a much weaker and more controversial candidate now. The candidates who are considering dropping out are candidates without independent bases of support who need to win with 20%. Coakley is not going to be scared by Kennedy, nor is Lynch likely to be.

Presumably, though, his stock has rebounded considerably since 1998 (grief nets a lot of sympathy votes), and a quick election process works in his favor.  A lot of people will over look his faults simply because he's a Kennedy.

[Dan the Roman]

Joe Kennedy is not some 800lb gorilla despite what the Kennedy-loving press wants to believe. There is no way he would clear the field when he failed to clear a much weaker field in 1998 for Governor, and is a much weaker and more controversial candidate now. The candidates who are considering dropping out are candidates without independent bases of support who need to win with 20%. Coakley is not going to be scared by Kennedy, nor is Lynch likely to be.

Presumably, though, his stock has rebounded considerably since 1998 (grief nets a lot of sympathy votes), and a quick election process works in his favor.  A lot of people will over look his faults simply because he's a Kennedy.

Perhaps. More likely he is betting that the sympathy will make his opponents unlikely to go negative against a Kennedy, the attack ads being in bad taste. That said, I think Suffolk polled him v. Coakley earlier this year and she led 41-40.

The more interesting thing in that story however is not Kennedy but who is pushing him. Notice it is Dan Payne. Dan Payne was the man who began spreading rumors of Patrick running in 2005, and there is no way he would be doing this without the Governor's support. What this means is that Deval Patrick has found his anti-Coakley stalking horse, and there is a good chance that Joe is in line for the appointment, especially if it can be maneuvered so that he can run. Ironically therefore, the greatest impact is likely to be that the appointment bull is going to run into trouble. Therese Murray is not going to look kindly on a potential Kennedy appointment, and this is likely to hurt if not kill the bill if he can't be blocked from running.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

If he just have to talk about Kennedy replacing Kennedy, the widow, Vicki, seems to be most acceatable choice.

Joe, who was a Representative, had too much skeletons in his closets. Other are carpetbaggers.

[Brittain33]

If he just have to talk about Kennedy replacing Kennedy, the widow, Vicki, seems to be most acceatable choice.

Joe, who was a Representative, had too much skeletons in his closets.

I generally don't like widows' succession to Congress, but I think she actually might be the perfect choice for a caretaker should the law be revised. She is politically active in her own right and presumably knows her husband's staff well. She could effectively finish his work and manage the transition to a new senator better than anyone else could. I wouldn't support her running for a full term, however. (Said for the benefit of my credibility here--I'm not exactly a powerhouse in Mass. Dem. politics.)

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I'm not sure how you're using that term.