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The Spectacle Blog
The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza is reporting that Massachusetts Democrats are having a hard time trying to find someone who will run against Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) in 2012. Two of the likeliest candidates, Congressmen Mike Capuano and Stephen Lynch, have been awfully quiet. Boston Mayor Tom Menino has flatly declared Brown unbeatable.
It’s certainly an odd situation. National Democrats haven’t been shy about suggesting that Brown is their top target next year. Last month Brown came under heavy fire from Tea Party groups, both inside in Massachusetts and outside. Certainly, whenever I write about Brown I find that most commenters here are very critical of him. But could he still be too popular with independents in the Bay State?
As I’ve often pointed out, Brown — like the Republican House majority — won by appealing to two groups: conservatives inside and outside of Massachusetts who wanted a 41st vote against Obama and independents who wanted someone to break one-party rule in Washington. He has tried to maintain his appeal to both groups, but in the process his votes have the potential to make both sides angry at times. The big question is whether the anger at Brown is more intense outside of Massachusetts than it is within the commonwealth, making Brown a tough incumbent to knock off — and making the 2010 gubernatorial election look like even more of a missed opportunity for the Republicans.
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/02/17/unbeatable-brown
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Ken (Old Texican)| 2.17.11 @ 3:24PM
Hey, Brown is about the best we can hope for in that State full of idiots.
Lord have mercy, the idiots voted in a negligent murderer for umpteen years.
That's not Brown's fault! The majority up there are simply idiots...and they are his constituents.
scott | 2.17.11 @ 3:34PM
From someone in Massachusetts, Brown's stances can be very frustrating at times, but not enough to stay home or vote democrat. I wouldn't mind seeing a primary challenge. Last time around my friends and I campaigned strongly for Brown, next time around we will probably vote for him but they'll be no homemade signs or sending money.
Ken (Old Texican)| 2.17.11 @ 3:47PM
God bless, Scott.
Pack it up and head for Texas.
Occam's Tool| 2.17.11 @ 4:05PM
You'll find that the Gulf of Mexico has a lot warmer water than Cape Cod, and the food's better, too!
Sean| 2.17.11 @ 4:08PM
I’d trade Scott Brown for Barbara Boxer any day. You could do a lot worse; remember Ted Kennedy.
Clint| 2.17.11 @ 4:20PM
"There’s no shortage of tea party activists who are unhappy with the man who was once the national movement’s poster child, according to Christen Varley, president of the Greater Boston Tea Party.
“I agree with them. I wish he was voting differently,” Varley told Roll Call on Wednesday. “Before the financial reform vote, we were out actually beating drums outside his office saying, ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do this.’” Brown supported the Democrats’ Wall Street reform legislation, which passed with the help of a handful of Republicans.
Varley also singled out the freshman Senator’s support for the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal, among other votes that she called “disappointing.”
Scott Wheeler, who heads the National Republican Trust Political Action Committee, penned an opinion piece for the Daily Caller last week titled, “Why Scott Brown must be defeated.”
“An organization I run, The National Republican Trust PAC, raised and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Scott Brown win the Massachusetts special election to fill the seat vacated upon the death of Ted Kennedy,” Wheeler wrote. “That organization will now do everything possible to see that Brown is defeated by a primary opponent when he faces reelection in 2012. Why? Because there is no difference between him and a Democrat.”
bobmontgomery| 2.17.11 @ 4:49PM
This comment may anger some, but my personal opinion is that Scott Brown's recent divulging of dark events from his childhood was not necessary. Of course everyone can appreciate and empathize with childhood traumas such as this, but this gentleman is now back in the service of his country as a US Senator. He is not Oprah the prima donna fessing up to another dark chapter of her past, or mental or emotional impairment. There is important work to be done for this country and I see this as a distraction and possibly as an effort to gain sympathy from the victim-promoting side of the fence to make up for whatever conservative losses he will suffer at the ballot box. In short, I think he has already staked claim to.....the Kennedy seat.
Bob K.| 2.17.11 @ 6:34PM
The classic New England "mugwump."
"Brown, Brown; Senator Brown!
The continental liar from old Beantown!"
diskojoe| 2.18.11 @ 9:48AM
Here's a story from my home paper about one of Sen. Brown's possible opponents:
http://www.salemnews.com/local.....senatorere's a
scott| 2.18.11 @ 7:56PM
Ken, maybe someday when the kids are outta school and the home values go back up a little. Also need to convince my parents to move with us or provide for their living arrangements. It's definately on my wishlist though.