MA-SEN Megathread: Senator Markey wins

[KaiserDave]

Well i was hoping for Joe to win but i'm not that upset about it. It doesn't make sense to get worked up about primaries like this. Ed Markey and Joe kennedy are both fine, smart progressive men and I hope they both have luck in their future political ventures. As another wise Massachusetts politician once said, "In an American election, there are no losers". Now let's get out there, cut the malarkey and win the senate majority!

Oh you betcha

[Calthrina950]

Kennedy's loss, as noted above, means he is the first member of that family to ever lose an election in Massachusetts. And another thing-once his House term ends on January 3, 2021, it will be the first time in 74 years that no direct descendant of Joseph Kennedy Sr. will hold elected office anywhere in the United States. This doesn't count Amy Kennedy, Van Drew's opponent in New Jersey, who married into the family. Hopefully, the Kennedy dynasty will now find its way into the history books, like the Roosevelts and Tafts have.

Who did between Ted's death in 2009 and Joe's election to Congress in 2012?

Patrick Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's younger son, was still in office as a Democratic Representative from Rhode Island until 2011, when he was succeeded by David Cicilline. I think there was a congressional gap between 2011 and 2013, but a two-year gap isn't that substantial in my view.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Well i was hoping for Joe to win but i'm not that upset about it. It doesn't make sense to get worked up about primaries like this. Ed Markey and Joe kennedy are both fine, smart progressive men and I hope they both have luck in their future political ventures. As another wise Massachusetts politician once said, "In an American election, there are no losers". Now let's get out there, cut the malarkey and win the senate majority!

[GoTfan]

So if Warren goes to Treasury, that means that Kennedy will have to run against Pressley.

[Roronoa D. Law]

AOC was smart with what she did. She knew that if Kennedy had won he would have that seat for as long as he wants. She wanted Pressley to have that seat because I think Markey was always looking at retiring in 2026. Warren probably looking at 2030. I think Kennedy saw that too and thought Markey would be easier to beat now.

Still not too late for him. The Massachusetts bench like New Jersey has aged quite a bit. Everybody outside of Pressley is meh and then there's Moulton.

[Pyro]

An excellent victory for the progressive movement and the Green New Deal.

[KaiserDave]

I hear Joe is a nice guy, I hope he has success in things other than this election.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Kennedy's loss, as noted above, means he is the first member of that family to ever lose an election in Massachusetts. And another thing-once his House term ends on January 3, 2021, it will be the first time in 74 years that no direct descendant of Joseph Kennedy Sr. will hold elected office anywhere in the United States. This doesn't count Amy Kennedy, Van Drew's opponent in New Jersey, who married into the family. Hopefully, the Kennedy dynasty will now find its way into the history books, like the Roosevelts and Tafts have.

Who did between Ted's death in 2009 and Joe's election to Congress in 2012?

Patrick Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's younger son, was still in office as a Democratic Representative from Rhode Island until 2011, when he was succeeded by David Cicilline. I think there was a congressional gap between 2011 and 2013, but a two-year gap isn't that substantial in my view.

If we're using the very loose definition of "elected office anywhere in the United States," it looks like Eunice Kennedy's son Bobby was on the Santa Monica City Council during that period.

[Calthrina950]

Kennedy's loss, as noted above, means he is the first member of that family to ever lose an election in Massachusetts. And another thing-once his House term ends on January 3, 2021, it will be the first time in 74 years that no direct descendant of Joseph Kennedy Sr. will hold elected office anywhere in the United States. This doesn't count Amy Kennedy, Van Drew's opponent in New Jersey, who married into the family. Hopefully, the Kennedy dynasty will now find its way into the history books, like the Roosevelts and Tafts have.

Who did between Ted's death in 2009 and Joe's election to Congress in 2012?

Patrick Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's younger son, was still in office as a Democratic Representative from Rhode Island until 2011, when he was succeeded by David Cicilline. I think there was a congressional gap between 2011 and 2013, but a two-year gap isn't that substantial in my view.

If we're using the very loose definition of "elected office anywhere in the United States," it looks like Eunice Kennedy's son Bobby was on the Santa Monica City Council during that period.

He held office from 2004-2012, although I can't find any information specifically stating when his term ended. So it's possible there may have been a gap of a few days between the time he left the City Council and the time JPK III was sworn in to the House.

[KaiserDave]

Thank you to the elitists of New Salem township and their median 50,000 dollar incomes!

[AtorBoltox]

lmao blairite seethe

[Anti Democrat Democrat Club]

Lol goodnight. Markey has this way easier than it looked all day.

South shore towns only breaking for Joe by 3-4%

My state messed up big time:

[Figueira]

Markey's numbers in Natick and Newton compared against Kennedy's numbers in Springfield and Worcester make one thing clear: this race has never been about progressive vs establishment or house vs senate. It's about the wealthy (Markey's base) vs everyone ese (Kennedy's base). So much for being on the side of the working man, Markey bros.

Have you seen western Mass???

This is the worst possible take for so many reasons.

Springfield vs the Pioneer Valley, you mean? Sure, Markey's going 55-45 in rural Western MA but the blue collar heartland of Massachusetts is solidly behind Kennedy. It's funny to see the Sanders/Warren types who were oh-so-horrified to see the Democrats become the party of UMC whites have their candidate win because of these very voters. It is abundantly clear that Markey's majority is coming from rich towns in Middlesex and Metrowest, not anywhere else.

This may shock some people but working class, blue collar voters aren’t hardcore Leftists. In the primary they overwhelmingly went for Biden, and Sanders/ Warren got crushed with them. These types of voters are your stereotypical “Moderate Democrat”

Most Progressives are upper class whites in the suburbs. Despite their rhetoric, Berniecrats don’t represent the working class.

Very true, but there's much more at play here than Markey being the more left candidate. Markey is much more in touch with the stereotypical WWC voter of Massachusetts. His accent and working class background is part of it, obviously a small part but is a decent way to illustrate it.

I think the WWC voter of Massachusetts can determine who is most in touch with their needs on their own, no?

Most of the people you are thinking of (Southie types) don't even live in Massachusettes anymore. And I don't think the voter participation rate is that high. Remember this is a primary...

Not to dispute the rest of your side of the argument, but this isn't remotely true.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

I will remember this as one of the only good surprises of 2020 and the primary in which Bernie Sanders was hilariously #outflanked by Bloomberg. Also, this will probably stick somewhere in my memory:

https://mobile.twitter.com/EdMarkey/status/1300166460967391232

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1300974079617441792?s=20

There is no red state Democrat equivalent to Baker/Hogan and that is something state-level Democrats need to address.

I would be very happy if a state like Tennessee or South Dakota would elect a Democratic governor whose entire agenda was more or less "run state agencies well and veto all the crazy $#!@ the Republican-controlled legislature passes," and Republicans basically didn't make any meaningful effort to challenge them because they were so popular.

But that's not what happens. Compare Baker and Hogan's reelections in 2018 to, say, Steve Bullock's in 2016 or John Bel Edwards' in 2019. Compare how MA Dems feel about Baker to how LA Republicans feel about Edwards.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

lmao blairite seethe

Oh I'm not all that bothered by the race. (And no, I'm not seething--I just had to go get some work done.) I like Kennedy a bit more so I hoped he would win, but I just made my initial comment (Markey's base is rich AF) to point out a bit of progressive hypocrisy and then it spiraled.

For four years, (some) Berniecrats have labeled anyone who disagrees with them as "establishment" or "elitist" or else decried the realignment of rich white suburbanites to the Democratic party. Considering who voted for Markey and who voted for Kennedy, I think it's important that we acknowledge the "new left" has never given the actual working class a good reason to vote for them. That's all. Anyway, I look forward to winning a senate majority in November with Markey as the crucial 50th vote.

/Macarthuring

[KaiserDave]

https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1300974079617441792?s=20

There is no red state Democrat equivalent to Baker/Hogan and that is something state-level Democrats need to address.

I would be very happy if a state like Tennessee or South Dakota would elect a Democratic governor whose entire agenda was more or less "run state agencies well and veto all the crazy $#!@ the Republican-controlled legislature passes," and Republicans basically didn't make any meaningful effort to challenge them because they were so popular.

But that's not what happens. Compare Baker and Hogan's reelections in 2018 to, say, Steve Bullock's in 2016 or John Bel Edwards' in 2019. Compare how MA Dems feel about Baker to how LA Republicans feel about Edwards.

Wish Billie Sutton won his race

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

Should Markey be winning by Boston by 20% with 40% 98% of precincts in? I thought that was expected to be Likely Kennedy

[lfromnj]

Hogan isn't a do nothing governor, he has actively taken a role in actual situations. For example when the Montgomery health commissioner closed all private schools he allowed them to make their own decision.

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1300974079617441792?s=20

There is no red state Democrat equivalent to Baker/Hogan and that is something state-level Democrats need to address.

I would be very happy if a state like Tennessee or South Dakota would elect a Democratic governor whose entire agenda was more or less "run state agencies well and veto all the crazy $#!@ the Republican-controlled legislature passes," and Republicans basically didn't make any meaningful effort to challenge them because they were so popular.

But that's not what happens. Compare Baker and Hogan's reelections in 2018 to, say, Steve Bullock's in 2016 or John Bel Edwards' in 2019. Compare how MA Dems feel about Baker to how LA Republicans feel about Edwards.

Wish Billie Sutton won his race

Comes down to how Dems fundamentally want to use govt to better people, while Republicans want less govt. Therefore, blue state Reps can sit in their governor chairs and veto anything too crazy, whereas red state Dem govs tend to work with Reps to pass 'better' legislation. The closest to a reverse Baker would probably be Beshear...but his vetos are useless thanks to KY law.


Also, (unrelated to the previous comment) when it comes to the electoral contest, who saw Kennedy winning Lowell and Lawrence?

[Big Abraham]

Meanwhile, Kevin O'Connor is beating Shiva Ayyadurai.

Is there any ethnic Republican who has managed to win a primary this year over a white candidate? Even the ones who had all the money and support lost (ex. Hawatmeh in NY).

Bit late to the game on this one but there is Rik Mehta.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Kennedy's loss, as noted above, means he is the first member of that family to ever lose an election in Massachusetts. And another thing-once his House term ends on January 3, 2021, it will be the first time in 74 years that no direct descendant of Joseph Kennedy Sr. will hold elected office anywhere in the United States. This doesn't count Amy Kennedy, Van Drew's opponent in New Jersey, who married into the family. Hopefully, the Kennedy dynasty will now find its way into the history books, like the Roosevelts and Tafts have.

We have George P Bush carrying on the terrible legacy of the Bushes. John Donley Adams tried running for office in 2017, but lost.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1300974079617441792?s=20

There is no red state Democrat equivalent to Baker/Hogan and that is something state-level Democrats need to address.

I would be very happy if a state like Tennessee or South Dakota would elect a Democratic governor whose entire agenda was more or less "run state agencies well and veto all the crazy $#!@ the Republican-controlled legislature passes," and Republicans basically didn't make any meaningful effort to challenge them because they were so popular.

But that's not what happens. Compare Baker and Hogan's reelections in 2018 to, say, Steve Bullock's in 2016 or John Bel Edwards' in 2019. Compare how MA Dems feel about Baker to how LA Republicans feel about Edwards.

Wish Billie Sutton won his race

Comes down to how Dems fundamentally want to use govt to better people, while Republicans want less govt. Therefore, blue state Reps can sit in their governor chairs and veto anything too crazy, whereas red state Dem govs tend to work with Reps to pass 'better' legislation. The closest to a reverse Baker would probably be Beshear...but his vetos are useless thanks to KY law.

I agree there's an institutional difference that precedes politics: Northern states generally have "strong" governors, while Southern states generally have "weak" ones, ergo it's a lot harder for a Democratic governor in a typical red state to have the same impact as a Republican governor in a typical blue state.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

RIP Joe Kennedy, it tells you how much money, a campaign can buy you. This isn't the first Kennedy loss, this is the first Congressional Kennedy loss

SGT Shriver, whom should of been the Prez nominee in 72 loses Veepstakes bid to Nixon Prez reelection, by Nixon breaking into DNC Headquarters and Watergate

Teddy loses to Carter whom, would have won Cali, just like RF would have in 1968 and would have beaten Reagan in 1980

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend loses in 2002 to Robert Ehlricn Gov

Arnold Schwarzenegger barely beats out Gray Davis in 2004, with sexual allegations, with Maria Shriver's help

Chris Kennedy loses to JB Pritzker in 2018 Dem primary for Gov

Joe Kennedy loses to Markey in 2020 MA primary

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

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