re: #115 Gus 802

Maybe because they were voting for the person rather than policy? That is, Ted Kennedy became somewhat of a legacy over the years. Now that the slate is clean it’s up for grabs. I still wonder myself considering they elected Deval Patrick (D) and consistently for John Kerry (D). Perhaps this says more of Coakley’s weaknesses then policy or ideology alone.

I suspect you’re probably right. I have a hard time seeing this as a referendum one way or the other. It probably comes down to individual candidates. I suspect the Dems were caught off guard. They probably just assumed the seat would go Dem and didn’t worry too much about who they nominated and didn’t bother campaigning until it was too late.