Suffolk MA. Patrick, with 41%; Baker, 34; Tim Cahill, 14%; Jill Stein, 4%, and undecided 6%

[Mass]

http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/hiller/BO144166/

Good for me, though Hiller was pimping tomorrow's debate. (add to this that Baker has an ad where he promises to fire 5000 state employees).

[Mass]

1. Poll finds that Patrick is the best for the economy and jobs

Given that it is Baker's main rational for his run (that he knows how to create jobs) happy to see voters dont buy into his act.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/21/poll_indicates_patrick_increasing_lead_over_baker_in_governors_race/

A majority of respondents said Patrick will do the best job of improving the economy and creating jobs, but most also said he is the candidate most likely to raise taxes, according to WHDH Channel 7 News.

[karynnj]

2. Interesting question - How many votes could a Republican lose by

promising this. You would think that among state employees, there are some percentage who are Republicans. The 5000 who would lose jobs IF he got elected and if he actually could do this are not named - so the fear will hit more than 5000 people and their families. In addition, most people realize that they might have a negative impact if there are 5000 fewer people interfacing with them at agencies, teaching their kids, or protecting them as firemen and police.

[Mass]

4. Also, in the same ad, he is bashing the unions. Interesting choice in a state where there are

many union workers, and that a fraction of them voted for Scott Brown.

[karynnj]

5. That is pretty dumb - in both cases he must thing there are more anti-union,

anti-government voters, who are not already with him, than any he might offend.

[Mass]

3. Herald Tribune "it is panic time for Baker

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100920/illegal_coders_clueless_about_charlie_baker/srvc=home&position=0
{
The survey of 500 registered voters, conducted Thursday through Sunday, shows 26 percent are undecided about Baker’s favorability and another 16 percent have never heard of him - meaning it’s panic time for the former Harvard Pilgrim Health Care CEO.
}

Which may be true given that this poll does not show a lot of movement compared to the previous Suffolk Poll in March (Patrick 42, Baker 29) and this despite huge ad buys on TV for the Baker campaign.

[karynnj]

7. The article is amazingly stupid

(they changed the link - http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1283004 )

The article is desperation - the author is practically standing on his head to find a way to not make this bad for Baker.
Rather than leading with the story that Patrickis ahead by 7, they look at the favorables and try to claim that the fact that Baker has 39 favorable and Patrick only 38 into him beating Patrick 39 to 30. This is idiotic when the same people are polled head to head - and Patrick is beating him 41 to 34. Obviously some who have a favorable opinion of Baker are still undecided or prefer someone else and some who do not say they have a favorable opinion of Patrick are choosing to vote for him, likely because they like the others less.

[Doctor_J]

6. Article at the link sounds giddy about Baker winning

I guess even local news readers are rich wingers.

[karynnj]

8. That is an incrediably distorted view of the results

It is also strange that they define the fact that Patrick is winning women by 12 and men by only 2 as a potential weakness for Patrick.