Patterico's Pontifications

1/19/2010

Are We Having Fun Yet? UPDATE: COAKLEY CONCEDES, BROWN WINS!

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 5:20 pm



[UPDATE: I am giving results in updates as fast as I see them.]

UPDATE: BROWN WINS. Coakley has called him to concede.

Well, the polls are closed. Let’s get a quick recap of some significant events of the day:

The Boston Globe publishes a full election map, declaring Marcia Marcy Martha Coakley the winner of the Senate race in Massachusettes Massachusetts. 50% to 49%. Just one problem: the polls weren’t closed. They say they were testing a tool.

The only tool here is the guy who declared Coakley the winner in the test map.

The best evidence that Coakley is going down: the backbiting has already begun as to who is at fault for her defeat. Enjoy the spectacle. This is from an anonymous Democrat party official:

The campaign failed to recognize this threat, failed to keep Coakley on the campaign trail, failed to create a negative narrative about Brown, failed to stay on the air in December while he was running a brilliant campaign. It’s wishful thinking from a pollster, candidate and campaign team that were caught napping and are going to allow one of the worst debacles in American political history to happen on their watch that they are at the 11th hour are going to blame others.

Before the DNC and DSCC got involved there was barely a single piece of paper on what the narrative is on Brown. The candidate in this race and the campaign have been involved in the worst case of political malpractice in memory and they aren’t going to be able to spin themselves out of this with a memo full of lies.

Hahahahahahaha. That’s the best evidence I know that they’re in trouble.

It seems that Coakley is weakly trying to lay groundwork for a challenge to the results by claiming fraud: namely, citing unconfirmed reports of five ballots being handed out pre-marked for Brown. Wouldn’t put it past the Coakley people to do this. After all, some of the Coakley supporters openly declare that they would cheat if they had the chance.

Ah, but where’s my evidence that they planned this?! How about this: the press release complaining about today’s fraud is dated yesterday. Ed Driscoll, bless his heart, got the screen grab.

Yesterday's News Today

Apparently the Massachusetts Secretary of State is not giving much credence to the fraud complaints.

That’s what I see from a quick scan of the blogs. I’ll update the post as I learn more.

UPDATE: Frank Luntz can’t find anyone who wants to be in his focus group supporting Coakley. And according to a Democrat operative who spoke to Glenn Thrush, “outreach workers in and around Boston have been stunned by the number of Democrats and Obama supporters who are waving them off, saying they’ll vote for Scott Brown.” Another small indicator of the Democrats’ lack of enthusiam: I noticed on Twitter that Sadly, No! writer Brad Reed said:

i voted for her this morning. didn’t feel good about it though. in fact, felt downright filthy about it.

Ah, the enthusiasm!

UPDATE x2: Latest results from Twitter:

11% reporting: Brown (R) 143,950 votes, 53%; Coakley (D) 126,037 votes, 46%

That’s from Chuck Todd at NBC. He seems to have prompt updates, so I’ll be following him.

UPDATE x3: Todd again:

17% in: Brown (R) 52%, Coakley (D) 47%. Just four precincts [in BOSTON] have reported so far.

UPDATE x4: Todd:

25% reporting: Brown (R) 288,615 votes, 52%; Coakley (D) 260,730 votes, 47%

Up by 5 points with a quarter of the vote in. Not bad.

UPDATE x5: Dave Wasserman at the Cook Political Report:

Cook Report does NOT officially call races, but if I were working for a network I would have enough #s to project: Brown Wins

UPDATE x6: Ed Morrissey says it’s Brown by 5 with 36% of the vote in.

UPDATE x7: Morrissey says 40% reporting and Brown is up by 7.

UPDATE x8: Brown by 5 with 45% of the vote in, per Steve Brusk at CNN. Brusk also writes:

Several House Democrats make it clear to Dana Bash tonight after Cap Hill meeting…would not support Senate version of health care

Sweet.

UPDATE x9: It’s Brown by 6 with 57% of the vote in.

UPDATE x10: Ed Morrissey:

60% reporting, @scottbrownMA has a 7-point, 87,000 vote lead in #MASen. Someone’s gonna call this soon.

Yup.

UPDATE x11: 53-46 with 63% of the vote in.

UPDATE x12: Coakley concedes. It’s all over.

Now SEAT THIS MAN.

UPDATE x13: Erick Erickson has a great idea:

DEAR GOP: Scott Brown should deliver the response to Barack Obama’s State of the Union next week!

It’s so perfect, there’s no way they’ll ever do it.

UPDATE x14: Peter Hamby of CNN reports this very significant quote:

Jim Webb: “it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.”

UPDATE x15: Webb’s statement stands in marked contrast to this quote from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D., N.Y.) to the Wall Street Journal this weekend:

“We’re going to have to finish this bill and then stall the swearing-in as long as possible,” Mr. Weiner said. “That’s our strategy, a hurry-up-and-stall strategy.”

Way to respect the will of the people, there, Weiner.

178 Responses to “Are We Having Fun Yet? UPDATE: COAKLEY CONCEDES, BROWN WINS!”

  1. There is an update to the “early call” electoral map story at the link that Patterico references above. Apparently the Globe’s people are somehow trying to spread a portion of the blame to the Associated Press for the gaffe. What jerks.

    JVW (48cbba)

  2. “i voted for her this morning. didn’t feel good about it though. in fact, felt downright filthy about it.”

    Jeez. Can;’t vote for a Republican though. Shut up, that’s why!!!

    It’s a Boston Tea Party, and yes, we are having fun.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  3. 53% to 46% in favor of Brown with 13% reporting.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  4. But what do I do if a vote has already been marked, Alex?

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  5. SPQR, you’re way behind! Check the updates.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  6. The Democrats have a time machine. That is why they can report those “marked” ballots being handed out when the polls opened today, yesterday. It is another variation of the famous Kerry remark that “he voted for it before he voted against it.”

    Longwalker (4e0dda)

  7. A now a bad omen from Sean Trende at the RCP blog: “With 36 precincts — almost 2% ! — Brown is still at 55%-45%. Ashland is in, giving Brown a 54%-45% lead. Romney won it 59%-36%. Unless Brown is putting together a different coalition than Romney’s, he’s in trouble.”

    http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/19/open-thread-massachusetts/

    Gerald A (a66d02)

  8. If you want to have your mind blown, try to follow Real Clear Politics live blog. It gives you quick posts such as “Brown up 54-46 in such-and-such town which Romney carried by 61-39 in 2002,” but then just as you are starting to be depressed you read something like “Brown is winning this-or-that town by 57-43, a town Romney lost 45-55 in 2002.” I think it will be an awfully long night.

    JVW (48cbba)

  9. AP election results updated here.

    Interesting quote from the New York Times’ Caucus blog:

    Marlene Connolly, 73, of North Andover, says she cast her first vote for a Republican today, forced to return to her polling place after waiting 45 minutes initially when the lines were long. She left to pick up her grandson from school, and then waited another 20 minutes before finally getting her opportunity to be heard in the voting booth.

    “I voiced my opinion and voted for a Republican, and the roof did not cave in,” Ms. Connolly said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this and if my husband were alive you’d hear a roar, but I think I am now a Republican. I’m just devastated by what Obama’s doing. I don’t think he cares enough about anything other than his own personal agenda or this foolish health care bill.”

    It did give her pause to consider putting a Republican in to fill the seat of the late Senator Kennedy, she said. “It bothered me very much that it’s Kennedy’s seat, that did bother me. But the health bill totally upsets me. First of all, do we really know what’s going on with it? It’s always evasive when they’re talking about it.”

    Most upsetting to her was the proposed deal made for unions recently on the excise tax. “My daughter and her husband work for companies that are not unionized and they would get slammed,” she explained.

    But she also said that while it was fair for the president to place blame on the administration of former President George W. Bush for the economic situation, President Obama’s programs would also increase the nation’s debt. “My little grandson and his children will be paying for all these things, these giveaways. I’m a JFK person, and Jack would give you a hand up, not a handout. And that’s the difference. The Democratic party is not Jack Kennedy’s party and, ergo, I voted for Senator Brown. I think he’ll help change our tide. Of course he’s only one person, but he scared the Dickens out of the Democrats,” Ms. Connolly said.

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  10. Patterico, I’m watching Fox Boston’s website. They just reported 21% precincts and 53 to 46

    SPQR (26be8b)

  11. Another interesting Caucus quote:

    Democrats were studying turnout models and disappointed by what appeared to be lower-than-expected turnout in minority precincts, which typically trend Democratic.

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  12. Not a blowout by the looks of it. If Brown wins, it’s going to be tight.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  13. Ah, one of the posts that initially had Brown running ahead of Romney in Concord now has him running behind Romney there. It was a mistake by the blogger. This may come down to the wire, or maybe the Dems safely manufactured all the votes they need.

    JVW (48cbba)

  14. You’re behind again, SPQR! I have Twitter! He’s up by 5 with 25% of the vote in.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  15. Coakley will win by 2

    EricPWJohnson (83a5e3)

  16. No reason to compare this to Romney. Romney was a leader of a state in trouble. Kennedy’s senate seat was an institution even before Ted. As DRJ notes “It did give her pause to consider putting a Republican in to fill the seat of the late Senator Kennedy, she said. “It bothered me very much that it’s Kennedy’s seat, that did bother me. ”

    Can’t compare this to Romney. Brown has won it with a different coalition, if that’s what you call it.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  17. 29% reporting, Brown 52 to 47

    SPQR (26be8b)

  18. Boston has started to report in, and apparently Coakley has now taken a 51-49 lead.

    JVW (48cbba)

  19. If anyone starts feeling a feeling of being crushed you have to ask for help ok promise?

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  20. The stuff I report is from the RCP blog that I referenced above.

    JVW (48cbba)

  21. Also, turnout is going to be totally different. Even if Brown wins a district by half the margin Romney did, if that district showed up in double proportion, it’s a bigger win for Brown.

    Dems are not enthused or turning out in the degree the right and right leaning independents are turning out, which means that many districts that Brown loses will have a muted effect.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  22. At least Boston precincts are reporting relatively early, and not holding their vote until the bitter end.

    JVW (48cbba)

  23. Let’s hope Dustin is the top prognosticator of the evening.

    JVW (48cbba)

  24. SPQR,

    Late again. We’re already at 36% of the vote in. See the updates.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  25. 40% reporting, Brown 53 to 46

    SPQR (26be8b)

  26. Good news: Dustin is apparently right and Boston’s numbers are relatively light. Brown now holding at 52-47 with 10% of Boston reported.

    JVW (48cbba)

  27. JVW, yeah, let’s. I’m always too optimistic about this stuff, but RCP wants this to go on all night long so they get maximal attention.

    Don’t let that drag you away from the fact that Brown’s internals are good and Coakley’s are not. Coakley knows what she needed in order to win and they aren’t acting like they are getting there.

    At this point, it would be a surprising upset if Coakley managed to keep this seat for the democrats. Hard to fathom, but I think Brown is a lock to win.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  28. And now 40% in, with Brown up by 7.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  29. SPQR beat me that time! But that’s because I first updated the post.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  30. 45% reporting, Brown 52 to 47

    SPQR (26be8b)

  31. It’s like watching a butterfly break out of that thing it crawled into as a caterpillar or whatever. Our little country is reborn.

    That’s not an everyday kind of thing. It’s like hope and change all mixed together.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  32. I’ll let you guys look at the big picture, and I’ll focus on interesting tidbits from the various precincts. RCP is having problems loading right now.

    JVW (48cbba)

  33. Patterico, sorry dude, not trying to steal your thunder.

    I’m watching http://www.myfoxboston.com

    SPQR (26be8b)

  34. Just watch Olbergasm, Crissy, and MadCow. It is fucking priceless.

    JD (3399c0)

  35. Morrisey’s wrong (not that thats all that unusual) The AP running report shows Coakley closing rapidly at 40% Browns lead less than 5

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2010/by_county/MA_US_Senate_0119.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS

    EricPWJohnson (83a5e3)

  36. America has found chope.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  37. Dracut (north of Lowell, by NH border) goes 70-30 for Brown. Only went 59-41 for Romney in ’02.

    JVW (48cbba)

  38. With 40% of the vote in, here’s an interesting footnote from the Boston Herald:

    Unofficial results from the City of Boston show Brown 40% – Coakley 59% – Kennedy 1% with 26% of the city’s precincts reporting.

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  39. 4 out of 10 Bostonians voted for a Republican.

    That is just insane. It’s a bad day to be a democrat.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  40. 52% reporting, still 52 to 47 in favor of Brown.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  41. Fox has 57% counted and Brown 53-46.

    JVW (48cbba)

  42. Everything Boston-related seems to be slow, JVW, and the Boston Globe’s website gives an error message more often than it loads.

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  43. 60% in Brown up by 7 but getting killed in Boston 2-1 Boston has reported less than a third of its precincts

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2010/by_county/MA_US_Senate_0119.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS

    EricPWJohnson (83a5e3)

  44. Over half the precincts are in and its 638,823 (53%) for Brown to 563,214 (46%) for Coakley. Not a landslide, but comfortably outside the margin of fraud.

    Sean P (4fde41)

  45. Someone please tell me that I can start feeling happy. Please tell me that all of the uber-liberal districts have been counted already.

    JD (3399c0)

  46. RCP must have figured that they are way behind the others, so they have slowed down their updates.

    JVW (48cbba)

  47. 53 – 46 W/ 57% reporting, per Fox Boston….

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  48. Another Boston quote:

    “I’m trying to save the nation today,” said Robert Cappello, 69, a registered Republican and enthusiastic Scott Brown voter from South Boston who reveled in what he described as an “overwhelming sweep” of momentum for his candidate.

    “This election is a lot about sending a message,” Cappello said in an excited voice outside a polling place on H Street. “It’s telling Washington to slow down.”

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  49. JD: Well, calling a district in Mass uberliberal is kind of a redundancy, no? Besides, about 60% of ALL districts are in, and Brown still has a comfortable win. You can start feeling happy.

    Sean P (4fde41)

  50. 60% reporting, Brown 53 to 46

    SPQR (26be8b)

  51. without Boston in this election shouldnt be called –

    EricPWJohnson (83a5e3)

  52. Na na na na.

    Na na na na.

    Hey hey hey.

    Goodbye.

    Marcia.

    Mitch (e40959)

  53. 65% reporting, Brown 53 to 46

    SPQR (26be8b)

  54. lol

    7 Things At Stake In Massachusetts Senate Race

    1) The 60-vote working majority in the Senate…

    2) The Obama agenda as we know it…

    3) The all-Democratic-vote strategy…

    4) The myth of one-party Massachusetts…

    5) The sense of Barack Obama as a game changer…

    6) The momentum of the Tea Party…

    7) The reputations of polls and prognosticators…

    I think my favorite is #5.

    But I think the takeaway tonight is that Team R can do amazing things without any involvement whatsoever from Sarah Palin.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  55. They say they were testing a tool.

    Seems to me the only “tool” is the Globe itself.

    Blacque Jacques Shellacque (efef8c)

  56. Brown runs 10 points better than Romney did in Fall River, a depressed mill town down near Providence, RI. Brown loses it 41-57, but Romney lost it 29-67 in 2002.

    JVW (48cbba)

  57. Patterico is calling this one for Brown.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  58. Hell, yeah! we are having fun! 🙂

    The elated Dana (474dfc)

  59. without Boston in this election shouldnt be called

    A lot of Boston is in. 62 percent of it according to fivethirtyeight.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  60. Fat lady getting loose in the Republican bullpen…

    the bhead (a31060)

  61. 66% reporting, 7% lead, 91,000 vote differential

    Hadlowe (061332)

  62. Just a little bit more good news and I’m going to heat up a can of Wolfgang Puck Clam Chowder. It’ll be the best chowder I’ve had since I moved to CA.

    JVW (48cbba)

  63. The Dems thought surely they’d win,
    ‘Lection Day and Coakley’d be in
    They never thought
    She’d ever get caught
    And now we all wait for the spin!

    The Limerick Avenger (474dfc)

  64. Brown did it…..
    ….hopefully spelling the end of Obama’s socialist quest to ruin America……


    Love this quote from Real Clear Politics:

    8:48pm — So much for Joe Kennedy as a spoiler. He’s getting barely 1% of the vote right now. Cook Report’s Jennifer Duffy points out on Twitter: There are NO uninformed voters turning out — Mike Memoli

    funny how that coincides with a Republican win.

    Baxter Greene (af5030)

  65. 69% in Brown leads by 95000

    peedoffamerican (ab0cf4)

  66. 69% precincts reporting, Brown 53 to 46

    SPQR (26be8b)

  67. I hate to admit it, but happyfeet has a point. This was the toughest election win I’ve seen in a long time, and Palin had nothing to do with it (and that probably helped). She didn’t get NY23 over the edge, either.

    The GOP has power that is not intrinsic to Palin’s charisma (that’s a good thing). I guess I should be delighted.

    Coakley was done for sure as soon as it was clear she didn’t dominate Boston nearly to the degree she’d have to.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  68. According to commenters at fivethirtyeight, coakley conceeds. FWIW.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  69. Huh? Frank Tarkenton, the ex-Vikings QB, is on Cavuto talking about the election. I just heard him on the radio talking about the NFC Championship Game this coming weekend.

    JVW (48cbba)

  70. 1461 of 2168 precincts reporting (about 67%)

    Scott Brown (R) 769,239 52%
    Martha Coakley (D) 682,784 47%
    Joseph Kennedy (I) 14,798 1%

    So when is Coakley giving her concession speech?

    Sean P (4fde41)

  71. Barack says that this ain’t his fault
    The Dems had opened their vault
    She was their honey
    They gave her the money
    But found she ain’t worth her salt

    The Limerick Avenger (474dfc)

  72. 71% Brown leads 53-46 by 102,000

    peedoffamerican (ab0cf4)

  73. Drudge reports Coakley concedes

    [note: fished from spam filter. –Stashiu]

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  74. Fox News says Coakley conceded as well, Sub.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  75. At current rate, Brown would have to get less than 42% of the remaining vote for Coakley to win. I think Patterico made the right call

    Some chump (d97978)

  76. #

    According to commenters at fivethirtyeight, coakley conceeds. FWIW.

    Comment by Subotai — 1/19/2010 @ 6:21 pm

    Yes!!!!
    ……..Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ……………..Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
    …………………………Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    #

    9:18pm — The Boston Globe reports that Coakley has called Brown to concede the Senate race — Mike Memoli

    Baxter Greene (af5030)

  77. See update. Coakley conceded.

    Patterico (e052f6)

  78. coakley concedes AP calls it for brown

    EricPWJohnson (83a5e3)

  79. A Dem commenter at fivethirtyeight writes:

    It’s a pretty sad day for the dems if Brown wins with any margin. Earlier in the day we were talking about how most polls extrapolated seemed to show that a 45% turnout was the break-even point. It looks like we’re going to break 50% at this point and if Croakley _still_ goes down. That’s just pathetic all around.

    Not even having the ‘low turnout’ horse to flog as an excuse is going to hurt. It’ll basically mean that one of the bluest states chose to repudiate the dems. A much nicer narrative that’s now useless is that since it was a special election and in January, it was gamed by some lunatic fringe while the rest of the state slept.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  80. Game over….

    Who’s got next??

    the bhead (a31060)

  81. 75% of precincts, Brown 53 to 46

    Looking good.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  82. What can the Democrats do
    When Martha gave them the flu
    Barack just feels sick
    When Scott, that big hick
    Won in a state that’s so blue

    The Limerick Avenger (474dfc)

  83. Yes!

    Charlie (03643a)

  84. Carl Cameron just announced the concession as well.

    Matador (176445)

  85. I smell toast.

    We’ll see what final is but in Massachusetts, 53 to 46 is a landslide.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  86. 59 -46 @ 75%….. WOOHOOO!!!

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  87. You guys need to see the Frank Luntz segment on Fox/Hannity. Cutting to the chase: People who voted for both Obama and Coakley and support Obamacare ALSO say that Congress needs to respect this vote and restart the health care debate. Only 3 people out of 50 (in a mostly Democrat MA group)thought it still should be pushed through.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  88. Those Boston precincts didn’t do much for Coakley after all.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  89. Exit question….

    Obama’s 53-46 was a “landslide”. How will our fair press frame this one???

    the bhead (a31060)

  90. subotai at 78, that’s not a great attitude they are showing out there, is it?

    It’s an utter landslide in a place that by all accounts should be an utter landslide in the other direction.

    They can blame Coakley, but this was all about Obama. Those independents and GOP voters and donaters were not a lunatic fringe, and if the democrats want to spin this and cover their asses, they will have to figure that out in November.

    Most Republicans saw the writing on the wall when Bush’s polls hit rock bottom, but we went for TARP anyway. What did Obama win election as? If he doesn’t remember and start fiscal discipline and transparent, honest, post partisan leadership, the democrats will be coming up with excuses for many more election days.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  91. SPQR,

    that toast is burnt.

    Mitch (e40959)

  92. This is the most fun I’ve had on election night since 1984.

    Vivian Louise (643333)

  93. Hahahahahahaha. I’m so happy.

    LASue (5f0073)

  94. Patterico’s Update x 8 says it all. The real election occurred as soon as house democrats realized they are generally not safe. They know they will have to figure out a way to look disciplined and not part of the malaise that is destroying our economic recovery.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  95. 1994 was pretty good, too.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  96. I’ve contended all along that Coakley would win.

    I was wrong. Thank goodness.

    Ag80 (76c798)

  97. My congratulations go to the people of Massachusetts, the founders of America.

    nk (df76d4)

  98. Shall we start taking bets on what the editorials in the NYT, LAT, Boston Globe, et al. will have to say?

    JVW (48cbba)

  99. it wasn’t even close I want my money back

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  100. Now, will Zogby concede that every other objective pollster owns him?

    Matador (176445)

  101. I called a buddy of mine who was campaigning for Brown north of Boston to congratulate him for the good work.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  102. it wasn’t even close I want my money back

    Who would have thunk that the matter would be settled a mere 80 minutes after the polls closed?

    JVW (48cbba)

  103. I guess the Republican Party isn’t dead after all.

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  104. Since she has conceded the powers that be can not now hold off on certifying the results and must now seat him as senator ASAP>

    peedoffamerican (ab0cf4)

  105. This is the most fun I’ve had on election night since 1984.

    Comment by Vivian Louise — 1/19/2010 @ 6:32 pm

    +1

    In the running with Justice Clarence Thomas’ confirmation night for awesome contested upsets. Will say the same thing I jumped up in a convent to shout in front of a bunch of nuns that night: “‘Let the heathen rage,’ he’s in!” WHOO HOO

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  106. NYT:
    “Republican Wins U.S. Senate Seat in Massachusetts”
    Like it’s icky for that to have happened.
    How about “Brown Wins”?
    Oh, I’m a dreamer.

    m (f74378)

  107. people never talked a lot about this which is like scooby snacks for the Hot Air ones but I never saw it there I don’t think…

    where Scott goes on sort of at length about how wonderful Sarah Palin is

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  108. In other news, Edward Kennedy has exhumed himself by spinning in his grave.

    The impolite Dana (474dfc)

  109. I live in Vegas. Reid goes next.

    Gina (c68b68)

  110. The only thing what could eclipse this would be for Meghan’s daddy or Princess Lindsay to get wiped out in a primary challenge. And it’s not Graham what’s up next.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  111. If its not close, Democrats can’t cheat.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  112. Quick post mortem: I was initially pessimistic when I saw on RCP that Concord, a upscale bedroom community north of Boston, was giving Brown a significantly lower share of the vote than they had given Romney in 2002. What made this interesting is the degree to which Brown appears to have done significantly better today in working class cities than Romney did in 2002, while Romney appears to have played better in the ‘burbs than Brown. Is there a message here for the national GOP as to where the potential votes are in 2010 and 2012, or is this just a regional thing where blue collars in Mass have always distrusted the liberal elite, even when they have supported the same candidates.

    JVW (48cbba)

  113. Massachusetts has opted not to put up windmills off the coast. It seems they have found an alternative energy source to meet the electric needs… Teddy’s spinning in his grave will meet Massachusetts energy needs for the foreseeable future.

    PB (6c05ff)

  114. @107: why not? Sarah *is* wonderful…..

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  115. happyfeet, sweet link.

    He’s making a simple point that shouldn’t require so much care and argument, but apparently does. It’s amazing that this is considered a strong support for Sarah, saying her sex and family situation shouldn’t be held against her as a politician and her husband can support the family like Michelle Obama of Laura Bush support theirs.

    I mean, that should be banal. This isn’t 1908 and he’s barely touching political issues. That woman on the left was so ugly about it. Almost inhumanly happy to see someone have problems.

    Let’s hope peedoffamerican is right about this. Coakley showed signs of making this dirty. I don’t think she has a political future, but if she does she can preserve it by letting the voters have their voice in DC ASAP.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  116. I have no why not for you today. I offered without any acerbic comment at all.

    I’m practicing.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  117. Here comes the Democrat slime of Mass — Kerry, Markey, where is that silly Governor? — going up on stage to hear Marsha’s concession speech.

    JVW (48cbba)

  118. I’m just waiting for the inevitable comments from our media lords, it will probably be something along the lines of Peter Jenning’s comments after the GOP sweep in 1994: “the American public threw a temper tantrum today.”

    Dmac (539341)

  119. This was over the day the Massachusett legislature voted to change the rules back on succession of Senators. That day they broke faith with the electorate. In effect saying to the majority Democratic state they they don’t give a damn about public opinion.

    Thank you, Teddy. Thank you for being an ass right up to the day you assumed room temp.

    papertiger (d55d4c)

  120. 93% reporting Brown leads 52-47 by 113,000 votes. I guess the libturds own messiah Obambi couldn’t raise that many dead voters from the grave.

    peedoffamerican (ab0cf4)

  121. Two questions:

    1. Say, where are our trolls to tell us this is no big deal?

    2. Will there be some exploding talking heads on TV. Maddow? Olbermann? Bueller?

    Eric Blair (5b1232)

  122. National Review Online changed their background color to — you guessed it — Brown.

    JVW (48cbba)

  123. this piece from the little president man’s Associated Press is astoundingly journalistic. It can’t possibly have been authorized. No byline on it. I will google.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  124. Sung to “Yankee Doodle”

    Coakley’s Democrat machine,
    Hoped her votes were packin’
    But voters flocked down to the polls
    And found her mojo lackin’!

    Coakley couldn’t keep it up
    Coakley’s now the loser
    She didn’t give the voters heed
    And so they didn’t choose her!

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  125. I hadn’t watched news on tv in a couple of years. I turned on Fox just in time to hear Marcia conceded. How great is that.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  126. Glen Johnson & Liz Sidoti … I don’t know Glen but Liz would never be confused with a journalist.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  127. This change gives me hope!

    Teflon Dad (287a17)

  128. Chris “Tingle” Mathews on MSNBC is now making a fool of himself saying this is nothing about Obama or the Democrats, but simply anti-incumbant.

    Hmmm, I didn’t know Martha Coakley was the incumbant.

    What an idiot. But we knew this.

    Charlie (03643a)

  129. If its not close, Democrats can’t cheat.

    No, but they can gum up the work with spurious claims of voting fraud. Bush won Ohio by 130,000 votes in 2004, and Dems across the country were still crying foul.

    Some chump (d97978)

  130. First the Chowdah Revolution in Mass and now the Boxer Rebellion here in California… to the frontlines!

    GeneralMalaise (4e6eee)

  131. Why are you looking so glum, Governor Patrick? You should be taking notes on how to deliver a concession speech. You’re going to need them in 10 months.

    JVW (48cbba)

  132. So, given Coakley’s concession, the election is over. Would a vote tomorrow by Paul Kirk be illegal under MA law? What about Senate rules/precedent?

    Kevin Murphy (3c3db0)

  133. Captain Oldsmobile must be spinning in his grave…

    GeneralMalaise (4e6eee)

  134. She conceeds.. Therefore no reason to hold up certification by the state. Let’s swear him into the Senate tomorrow… 🙂
    ^..^(____)~~~

    Cheshire Cat (14abf8)

  135. Say, where are our trolls to tell us this is no big deal?

    Who needs the trolls when the media leftists are doing their bidding, on Pavlovian cue?

    Massachusetts race wasn’t a referendum on health-care reform

    The biggest political issue in the country today is the Democrats’ health-care reform proposal, which will need 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster.

    That crucial 6oth vote was up for grabs in Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts, a reliably liberal and Democratic state.

    The Democratic candidate promised she’d vote for the health bill, which the Republican vowed to vote against.

    There was a strong, unexpected surge in support for the Republican candidate in the final weeks of the campaign.

    Ergo, health-care reform is dead.

    This is the kind of facile conclusion and faulty logic that, unfortunately, drives too much of the political narrative, just as it did following gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. So let’s break it down into its component parts and see where it goes astray.

    Of course, if Coakley had won, the same MSM stenographers would have hailed it as a great mandate for Obamacare.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  136. Lefties should never finish a speech with a clenched-fist salute. Unless it’s Maxine Waters or somebody, of course. Another inept move from Marcia.

    JVW (48cbba)

  137. Here is the bottom line:

    This election was a complete rejection of President Obama and the inside politics of the Democratic leadership in Washington. The Voters has spoken and they have sent a clear message:

    WE DON’T WANT OBAMACARE!

    WE DON’T WANT OBAMACARE!

    WE DON’T WANT OBAMACARE!

    (The details: Yes, Coakley is a hack who made many mistakes. But Massachusetts is the bluest ot the blue state. In normal times, she would have won easily — maybe her gaffes would cut into her margin a bit, but that’s it. That she lost to a relative unknown like Brown is mainly due to the fact that the Democrats have enraged the electorate by their games, their inside dealings and near bribery of Senators and unions, and their attempt to pass a monstrous, incomprhensible nationalization of healthcare.)

    Bored Lawyer (380bc0)

  138. Memo to POTUS
    Subject: 3 AM Wake Up Calls

    You’ve had three: Virginia, New Jersey and now Massachusetts. Gives fresh meaning to the phrase, ‘Heck of a job, Brownie.” Only this Brown has a new, well-paying one, thanks to Coakley’s fizzle going flat. But the message belched is loud, clear and cannot be excused as a fluke. (Regardless of Mr. Olbermann’s colorful commentary of the day. The audacity of dope– take the loss, Keith. He ran a better campaign.)

    It speaks volumes that, fairly on not, the perception of accomplishments in the first 12 months of the Obama presidency could be summed up in a five minute skit on Saturday Night Live some weeks ago with terms like ‘nada,’ ‘zip’ ‘nope’ and ‘nothing.’ Closed Gitmo? Nope. Healthcare bill on your desk by August, 2008? Nada. Re-regulate Wall Street? Nothing.

    Half a decade ago Democrats whined they could not effect action against non-negotiating GOP majorities until they won a governing majority in the House. So voters gave the Dems the House. Then leaders complained they needed to secure a majority in the Senate to move clean legislation. Voters gave them that, too. (Fillibuster be damned– how you cannot pass legislation with 60 votes when 51 is a majority, regardless of the ‘dialect’ of arcane rules, perplexes average voters.) The Congress is yours. Use it or lose it. Then leaders insisted they needed the presidency to captain a change in direction. Voters gave Democrats that as well. A year in, the actions– or inactions– now resonate louder than your words. Your leaders in Congress have not served you well and in a growing comedy of Beltway errors, Americans appear to be getting ‘F-Troop.’

    With articulate, inspiring rhetoric, independents, essential to your election, were drawn to your candidacy by visions of a JFK-esque-fueled generational change rivaling FDR amidst an economic meltdown similarly gifted to America by the free-wheeling’n’ dealing GOP of 80 years ago. Given the alternative at hand, the vote was made all the more easy. Still, it was depressing hand to be dealt. But a year in, what independent voters are seeing is not the responsive vigor of John Kennedy or the try anything and everything every week Franklin Roosevelt. What is beginning to develop is a picture of the reactive David Dinkins, the overwhelmed Jimmy Carter or the affably befuddled Wilton Parmenter.

    You can negotiate with pragmatists in a party. You cannot negotiate with ideologues in any party. A hard, bloody lesson painfully stuck home by stubborn splinters of party planks that frame partisanship. (Indeed, Scott Brown signs autographs ‘Scott Brown, 41.’ Yet another ‘nyet’ from The Party of No.)

    A State of the Union speech is scheduled for January 27. An honest assessment would be welcomed for a ‘change.’ Be sure to wear your President Obama face and leave Parmenter (and Spock, for that matter) at home. Because the view from Main Street is distinctly different from the perspective of Wall Street. You may very well have averted a depression for Goldman-Sachs but the recession in the real world is deep enough to be a downer for those tallying up the billion dollar costs of wars (finally put on budget) and searching for work with 10% to 17% of their countrymen.

    You may very well have wasted a year. Put the medal away. And park the damn jet. No more fly ins at the last minute to try to save a loser. Halt the fuzzy optics of visiting daycare centers, kiddie classrooms and college rallies. Go to your Oval office. Charge the Blackberry, crack the laptop, work the phones and clean out the in-box. That’s what you were hired to do.

    Recently in what may be faux indignation, you crowed, ‘We want our money back!’ Independents increasingly appear to be saying in response, ‘We want our vote back.’ And they started taking it back tonight.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  139. Notice how none of the trolls have dropped by?

    JD (81dcc1)

  140. Voters in Mass say…

    …………………./´¯/)
    ………………..,/¯../
    ………………./…./
    …………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
    ………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
    ……..(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
    ………\……………..’…../
    ……….”…\………. _.·´
    …………\…………..(
    …………..\………….\

    to the Democrats

    GeneralMalaise (4e6eee)

  141. Brother Bradley, the good news is that comment section in the WaPo column to which you linked is blistering in derision towards the author’s assertion. It’ll be the Dem talking point for sure, but I don’t think the majority of America is buying it.

    JVW (48cbba)

  142. I spoke too soon.

    JD (81dcc1)

  143. Chris Matthews just nailed it – if Reid has 50 votes, plus Biden, he may well cram this through reconciliation. This is why I refuse to be giddy.

    Ed from SFV (88e9d7)

  144. #139: now, imagine the Wall O’ Text if Croakley had won?

    Eric Blair (5b1232)

  145. From Bradley’s link, priceless! Staggering arrogance. Heh.

    The first thing to say is that while those of us who are Washington insiders may be focused on health reform, the country has its mind on lots of other things. First and foremost is a lousy economy that has resulted in lots of lost jobs and lost wealth, a big spike in the federal deficit and big budget shortfalls for state and local governments. Combine that with lousy weather, another terrorist attack, a never-ending war in Afghanistan and an earthquake that may have just killed 200,000 people and you don’t have to be George Gallup to figure out that Americans might be in a grumpy mood and might want to take it out on the politicians and parties in power.

    Comment by GeneralMalaise — 1/19/2010 @ 7:08 pm

    Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but it’ll do!

    Dana (1e5ad4)

  146. Mr. Webb is not a stupid man is he?

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  147. From The Corner at NRO:
    Seat Him Now, Says Webb [Daniel Foster]

    Sen. Jim Webb (D., Va.) tells CNN: It would “only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Brown is seated.”

    “In many ways the campaign in Massachusetts became a referendum not only on health care reform but also on the openness and integrity of our government process. It is vital that we restore the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders. To that end, I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.”

    But Sen. Reid says not so fast:

    “We welcome Scott Brown to the Senate and will move to seat him as soon as the proper paperwork has been received”

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  148. TEA PARTY!

    TEA PARTY!

    THE BOSTON TEA PARTY!!!

    Woohoo!

    All those dems mocking the tea partiers? you have been teabagged!!!

    and let’s all enjoy a classic on tea parties:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTU2He2BIc0

    A.W. (f97997)

  149. Rachel Maddow: With this defeat in Massachusetts, healthcare must pass. If it does not, the Dem party will not recover for a very long time.

    Me: I am telling you all…..this ain’t over. Not by a longshot.

    Ed from SFV (88e9d7)

  150. Apologies for the redundancy there, Brother Bradley.

    Matador (176445)

  151. Matador,
    Stuff this good deserves repetitive redundancies!

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  152. Brown wins, just as I predicted.

    Cough

    lee (cae7a3)

  153. People on that TPM thread are really detached from reality. They think what’s needed to stop the bleeding is for the Dems to double down on what they’ve been doing.

    Subotai (7162ca)

  154. Russert’s son tweeted that every single Dem member of Congress is now refusing to vote yes on the Senate bill.

    Fascinating, Captain.

    Vivian Louise (643333)

  155. In Bradley’s link above, Washington Post columnist Pearlstein doesn’t see many lessons for President Obama but this Washington Post editorial thinks Obama has a lot to learn.

    DRJ (84a0c3)

  156. Parson Reid says not quite so fast
    ObamaCare, we’ve not seen the last
    Chris M’s face is saggin’
    Olberdouche is teabaggin’
    Rachel Madcow’s smile in the past

    GeneralMalaise (4e6eee)

  157. Josh Marshall is telling his Democratic peers to “Just Shut Up!”

    Message of the day to all Dems, Coakley, Rahm, Celinda Lake, national Dem committees, Axelrod, whoever, whatever: Shut the *$%& Up! I don’t know how else to say it. I’m watching MSNBC and hearing all the key players dumping on each other. As I’ve said, the Coakley campaign seems to have been run just terribly. And that’s just the beginning of it. But really, with all that’s at stake, the White House political office left this to Coakley, unsupervised? Really? I just have very little patience hearing all the people who are by definition all to blame have an argument about who’s most to blame.

    What I’m seeing — and this isn’t just based on public comments but our reporting behind the scenes — is that there’s a lot more energy going into dodging blame for this unforced error of galactic proportions than there is going into the real issue: closing the loop on the health care bill. Which is the only issue in policy terms and political terms. That’s it. Everything else is water under the bridge.

    No, I’m not going to say it. Anyone who reads down to the very end of the excerpt will have the same thought I did.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  158. Jim Webb will be a Republican before he has to run for reelection.

    WLS Shipwrecked (3d3fb8)

  159. I like the idea of him giving the SOTU response. He might could have saved our whole little country tonight.

    That’s kind of a big deal.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  160. Good find, VL!

    Every House Dem must be thinking about how much porkulus they can shake loose a la Ben Nelson.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641)

  161. BEEN WAITING FOR THIS:

    Can You Feel That Buddy?!?

    Techie (43d092)

  162. #157- DRJ, this is his third ‘ice warning.’ If it’s full-steam ahead w/o a course change, find a lifeboat station.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  163. I already did an update about the Webb thing, guys, but thanks for flagging it. I was probably updating at the same time you were commenting.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  164. Healthcare bill on your desk by August, 2008? Nada.

    That would have been some feat, DCSCA. Oh–never mind; I forgot The One can reverse time. Like Superman!

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  165. Man takes to railyard to show solidarity with DNC…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rapvHU3aoCw

    GeneralMalaise (4e6eee)

  166. I love it, Senator Brown is sticking it to the Dems and Obama especially, but doing it with a smile on his face a la Reagan.

    JVW (48cbba)

  167. Jim Webb will be a Republican before he has to run for reelection.

    Comment by WLS Shipwrecked

    I could see this but he will not be popular.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  168. WHOO HOOO! The change has gone to my head. And by change, I mean celebratory whiskey.

    The Blue Dogs already have their tails tucked between their legs and are whining about a beating from their constituents.

    This is wonderful!

    John (6aec05)

  169. No, I’m not going to say it. Anyone who reads down to the very end of the excerpt will have the same thought I did.

    Comment by Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. — 1/19/2010 @ 7:30 pm

    Um, just…Wow. Yep.

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  170. From Brown’s victory speech:

    I didn’t mind when President Obama came here and criticized me – that happens in campaigns. But when he criticized my truck, that’s where I draw the line.

    I guy who can score points with comments that are funny and NOT mean spirited.

    MD in Philly (d4668b)

  171. It’s interesting that Frank Luntz had trouble finding Coakley voters for his focus group on Hannity tonight. I heard this this afternoon. Nobody would admit voting for her.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  172. good catch bradley… cause of how clueless they are this little country’s in better shape than it’s seen in many many moons I think.

    happyfeet (e9e587)

  173. […] incoming info… this from Patterico’s Pontifications: Are We Having Fun Yet? UPDATE: COAKLEY CONCEDES, BROWN WINS!: It seems that Coakley is weakly trying to lay groundwork for a challenge to the results by claiming […]

    Updates of Massachusetts Special Election 2010… Go, Brown, Go! Miracle in the Making? It’s Not Over Yet… BROWN WON, COAKLEY CONCEDES! « Frugal Café Blog Zone (a66042)

  174. YAHOO!

    Hugs all around!

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  175. YAHOO!

    Hugs all around!

    Life is good.

    Patricia (b05e7f)


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