Growing up in Cambridge I learned about politics at the grass roots level. Nobody did it better than Thomas 'Tip' O'Neill
Early in his career he lost a local election by a narrow margin and he was dumbfounded. He ran into an older woman who was a family friend and she told him she didn't vote for him. Shocked he asked her why and she replied "you never asked for my vote - people liked to be asked."
He never forgot that even when he was elected to the House and finally became speaker. He came back to North Cambridge every weekend and listened to what the voters were telling him.
Walter Sullivan was a local Cambridge politician that worked the same way. If somebody passed away in your family you could be certain that Walter was first in line at the wake. People remember little things like that.
3 weeks ago I knew Coakley was in trouble when at Fenway Park I noticed Scott Brown being mobbed like a rock star at the Winter Classic and Martha was nowhere to be seen. She compounded the goof by telling reporters "It was too early on New Year's Day and it was cold."
This past Monday she had another chance as the Bruins were playing a holiday afternoon game at TD Garden. Once again Brown was there with many supporters but no sign of Martha. Turns out she was at an art gallery in Cambridge.
BTW Martha - you carried Cambridge with 85% of the vote. Maybe if you had showed up at the hockey game you may have picked up some votes from hockey fans.
Martha you did the impossible - you lost on Waltham and LOWELL!!!!! How in the world can a Democrat lose the city of Lowell!!!!!
Calling Curt Schilling a Yankees fan was another master stroke.
Finally who the heck was running your ad campaign - KRUSTY THE KLOWN??????
How on earth could you release an ad that spelled Massachusetts wrong in the final graphic!!!!!
Maybe what happened yesterday is for the best. President Obama has to understand that what people in Hyde Park (Chicago) or Harvard Square think is not in reality with the rest of the world.
Today down at Arlington National Cemetery, Ted Kennedy is spinning in his grave. The irony is that his dying wish was for a special election to pick the person who would take his place and the law was changed. Of course he never could have imagined a Republican winning his seat.
Finally what makes Martha's campaign blunders even sadder is that she followed the playbook of Shannon O'Brien against Mitt Romney and angered all the soccer moms. Isn't it ironic that it was Romney who helped get the Massachusetts universal health care passed.
