Massachusetts DUers - Questions regarding next weeks election -

[jillan]

1. Has the DNC or the DSCC been helping Coakley?

2. Is there anything we can do to help?

Don't be afraid to ask :hi:

[PM Martin]

1. What can we do?

[burning rain]

2. K&R for an important topic!

We can't afford to lose a Senate seat in Massachusetts, of all places!

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Show Actual Positive Results From Democrats Owning Washington

We have the Presidency and both houses of Congress, but seem to do little beyond striking backroom deals with ne'er-do-wells, handing tax dollars to the hyperwealthy, and telling the base to STFU. Oh, and lying like crazy about campaign promises, more war, and a side order of continued warrentless wiretapping.

I suspect that the good residents of my Commonwealth are sick of this shit, as demonstrated by how well a nutjob Republican is doing in the polls.

[jillan]

4. Manny - I meant what can we on DU do? We tried to change DC -

guess that was bigger than anyone realized.

Maybe there is something we can do to help hold Teddy's seat.

[vadawg]

7. id stop that teddy's seat stuff for one, as ive seen elsewhere its the peoples seat

nothing irks me more than politicians assuming that a post is sacrosanct..

[jillan]

13. It IS his seat - if he was still with us, Mass wouldn't be having this election.

Sometimes I feel like people like to argue just for the sake of arguing - I'm asking what we can do to help the democrat win. You can call the seat whatever your please.

[vadawg]

18. pointing out to you that language usage is important, calling it his seat might win you votes

it might not, people dont like when people assume that a seat should go to the heir apparent...

[emilyg]

19. Thank you.

[TomCADem]

8. I Contributed To Her Campaign!

And was proud to do so. There is still time at:

http://www.marthacoakley.com/

[MannyGoldstein]

14. I Have No Evidence That She'll Be Any Better Than Brown

Most Dems are the same these days - as soon as they're elected they moon us and yell "who the $%&@ else 'ya gonna vote for, chump!". I have no reason to believe that Coakley is cut from different cloth - do you?

[TomCADem]

5. Really Sad When "Democrats" Are Cheerleading Republicans...

Do you really think that Republicans are campaigning on a mandate to regulate private business? Please.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. It's Even Sadder When Elected Democrats *Are* Republicans

Since when are elected "Democrats" regulating private business? When's Glass-Steagall returning?

[debbierlus]

15. It is a one party system. You know my reason for voting for her. It is really sad....

I want them to keep the 60th seat not because I expect any representation from her. She will be DLC all the way.

I am voting for her, so the democrats will maintain the 60 seats and not give the democrats any excuses for capitulating to the corporate powers that be. I don't want them to have the excuse. They need to OWN it. People are just starting to wake up.

Another year with the majorities and the continued degradaton & betrayal of their base should push the country far enough to wake up to the one party rule. Until that happens, and people stop playing the game of Kabuki theatre of a fictious two party system, we will never see the will and action for real change.

The term democrat means nothing to me. I define a politician by their actions, not their words or the letter after their name.

The Republicans are horrendous. The Democrats atrocious.

Tomato Tomatoe

(Excluding the very few dems who truly fight for the people - the vast MINORITY of the party).

[MannyGoldstein]

16. That's a really good point.

I need to think on that. Thamks.

[TomCADem]

17. Really? Name A Republican Who Supports The HCR Bills Being Considered?

Name a Republicans who supports the HCR bills that have been introduced?

[debbierlus]

21. You don't get it. The same legislation from Republicans would cause mass revolt

This is about the content of the policy.

It is horrendous. It is the health industry enslavement bill.

The Republicans stand lock step against it because their entire strategy is to block ANY legislation from the dems. It is not because they think it is a good or bad bill.

The dems are governing as the Republicans would, if they had the capital to get away with it. They don't, so the corporations threw in with the dems and they will swing to the Republicans again when it is expedient.

[TomCADem]

24. Wait, But You Said The Democrats Are Republicans...

Then what does that make the Republicans? Democrats? Are we now going to say that Social Security is corporatist because it gives seniors money to spend on corporate manufactured products? Maybe we will say that Medicare is corporatist, because it just allows seniors to pay for medical care, thus enriching the health care industry.

The fact of the matter is that not single Republican voted for any version of the HCR bill. If individual members secretly supported the bill, as you suggest they do, it would have come out. It hasn't.

[debbierlus]

43. The democrats are governing as Republicans - social security was NOT instituted

Under any recent democratic congress....

That point has absolutely no relevance to the discussion at hand. We are talking about the current legislation which most definitely is geared to maintaining the obscene profit of the health care industry at the expense of the American peoples' health and lives.

The CONTENT of the legislation is what is important. And, this legislation should be renamed the corporate health industry enslavement wet dream bill.

[TomCADem]

44. Wait, so name a Republican who is voting for the bill...

If "democrats are governing as Republicans," then what exactly is the Republican party doing? I hear this wild eyed, "there is no difference between the parties," yet this ignores voting records and reality.

If Democrats are governing as Republicans, and up is down, is left now the new right? Perhaps so, since so many so called "Democrats" do nothing but attack Democratic proposals, and cheerlead for Republicans.

[debbierlus]

9. Coakley is campaigning of being the 60th vote for healtcare...

She isn't speaking out about demanding anti-choice language be removed (she is prochoice, supposedly, although I am sick of prochoice politicians who only give lip service). She basically is campaigning to be the rubber stamp that makes this health industry enslavement bill law.

Any wonder people aren't rushing to volunteer and donate?

Coakley isn't a candidate that generates much excitement. She is DLC material and since it is an off year election, the most active base (the liberals) are uninspired.

[subterranean]

25. That strategy may be just as likely to win votes for her opponent.

[jillan]

36. Hopefully they will show up just because we need that D after her name.

Even tho it may stand for DINO, she is the 60th vote.

[hfojvt]

37. it's not like Teddy would want to advance 'the cause of his life'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IDN4b58pTU

[Mass]

39. They should be inspired by the idea the alternative is Scott Brown.

Or are they that uninformed?

[BurtWorm]

31. Why didn't the good residents of your Commonwealth vote for Khazei over Coakley, then?

That would have sent a message. I think your good residents fucked up.

[MannyGoldstein]

42. Khazei Was No Bargain, Either

He was against a public option in health care, because he said it would hurt competition. This is a pretty simple and fundamental problem, no?

[Mass]

40. If they cant make the difference between Coakley and Brown, they are the ones who are f*ed up.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[debbierlus]

11. Exactly. Campaigning as being the vote to pass it?

Not the best strategy.

In Massachusetts, we already have the suck ass system that the democrats want to pass as national law. We realize the reality of the legislation.

[TomCADem]

20. Really? I Don't See Any Proposals To Repeal Mass. HCR In Favor Of The Nationwide Status Quo

If you find such a poll, I could take your rant more seriously, but I just don't see folks in Massachusetts demanding repeal. In fact, the opposite is true:

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/09/28/support_for_mass_health_insurance_overhaul_drops_but_is_still_strong/

Public support for Massachusetts’ closely watched health insurance overhaul has slipped over the past year, a new poll indicates, but residents still support the path-breaking 2006 law by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Amid a severe recession that has led to cuts in state programs and unrelenting job losses, 59 percent of those surveyed said they favored the state’s multimillion-dollar insurance initiative, down from 69 percent a year ago. The poll, by the Harvard School of Public Health and The Boston Globe, found that opposition to the law stands at 28 percent, up slightly from 22 percent in a June 2008 survey.

Percolating throughout the poll findings is a gnawing concern over rising health care costs, suggesting that support could erode further if the state fails to slow the growth of medical spending.

With key features of the state law at the heart of the blistering national health care debate in Congress, architects and observers of the Massachusetts plan say the poll findings indicate that a national overhaul is not only possible, but politically viable.

“Three years in operation, and with 97 percent of people covered, you have a majority of support, and that is a lesson for Washington,’’ said Robert J. Blendon, a health policy professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and the poll’s co-director.

The poll found that 79 percent of those surveyed wanted the law to continue, though a majority said there should be some changes, with cost reductions cited as the single most important change that needs to be made.

Only 11 percent of state residents favored repealing the law, similar to last year’s finding.

Again, why do so many DUers happen to repeat RW talking points that are demonstrably contrary to fact.

[TomCADem]

12. Catering To Teabaggers Is Not Going To Win Democratic Votes

<>

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TomCADem]

46. NEWSFLASH Most Opposition Is From Folks Who Say It Is TOO Liberal!

Are you suggesting that we should make the bill even more conservative to cater to the 39 percent who say it is too liberal?

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/12/21/rel19a.pdf

QUESTIONS 20 AND 21 COMBINED
Dec. 16-20
2009
Favor (from Q.20) 42%
Oppose, too liberal 39%
Oppose, not liberal enough 13%
Other (vol.) 2%
No opinion 4%

[brooklynite]

22. I sat in on a Conference Call with DSCC today...

DSCC has gone on the air in Massachusetts as of today. Internal polling shows Coakley ahead, but race is clearly tightening. Lot of PAC money flowing in to support Scott Brown.

[PM Martin]

23. What's the strategy to get out the vote at this time?

[grantcart]

29. and it only took 21 replies to get an intelligent one that was on point

[hfojvt]

33. hey, what about #8?

[grantcart]

34. lol doesn't count - its a logical answer to a stupid subthread

[SoCalDem]

27. Is this for a 6 year term? or just the 2 yrs remaining of Kennedy's term?

[grantcart]

30. whatever is remaining on Kennedy's term

[Kat45]

28. On Friday Bill Clinton & John Kerry will be here for a rally for Coakley

I'm hoping Clinton can be of some help.

[jillan]

35. He's a great campaigner. Thank you for that info :)

[Kat45]

32. For one thing, Scott Brown would be an anti-choice vote.

He would also join the repubs in fighting anything proposed by the Democratic party. He'd fight against any judges and other appointments proposed by the President. I am terrified at the prospect of a Brown win. A republican as a Mass senator? That is such a horrifying thought. It is so wrong. Anti-choice and other wingnuts have been pouring money into Brown's campaign since they realized he has a chance. Since this is such a Democratic state, I think the Democrats have been pretty complacent, never even dreaming that a republican could win here. And it's only a Democratic state in the sense that this party vastly outnumbers the other one: there is a huge number of unenrolled/independent voters; they might even be a majority now. I think the Democratic party is just waking up and realizing the need to get its ass in gear. I hope we are able to do it.

[blondeatlast]

38. I have issues with Coakley as an AG but losing that seat to Brown is

too awful to consider.

I've sent a donation and will send more tomorrow (and I'm from AZ)

[Kat45]

41. I agree with you there. n/t

[hyphenate]

45. DSCC is looking for money eom