3rd-Party Candidate Named Kennedy Could Tip Senate Race in Massachusetts

[Purveyor]

By MICHAEL COOPER
Published: January 14, 2010

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In most elections, a politician calling himself the Tea Party candidate would cheer Democrats, raising hopes that he would siphon votes from Republicans by attracting some of the disaffected anti-Washington, anti-Obama electorate.

But when the election is being held to fill a seat that was left vacant by the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and the Tea Party candidate happens to be named Joe Kennedy, things get a little murkier.

Democrats here are concerned that some uninformed voters might confuse him for a member of the better-known, well-loved Kennedy clan, which he is not. And Mr. Kennedy’s libertarian positions make him even more of a wild card in the last days of the race: some could appeal to the right, like his call to abolish the federal Department of Education, while others could appeal to the left, like his call for immediately ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The underfinanced, little-publicized campaign of Mr. Kennedy, 38, is not likely to get many votes on Tuesday. But if the race between the major-party candidates — Martha Coakley, a Democrat and the state’s attorney general, and Scott Brown, a Republican state senator — is as tight as some polls suggest, Mr. Kennedy could play a key role by drawing just a few percentage points from either of them.

The fate of the Democrats’ bill to overhaul the health care system, whose passage depends on their keeping the Massachusetts Senate seat, just might be decided by Mr. Kennedy, a little-known information technology executive from Dedham.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/us/politics/15massachusetts.html

[customerserviceguy]

1. If he gets any more than the usual 3 to 5 percent

that a "none of the above" third party candidate gets, it will be a sign that the uninformed think he's a real Kennedy. If that happens, it hurts Coakley.

[Arkana]

2. He's not projected to get more than 4%.

If he does, it'll be mostly taken from Scott Brown.

[customerserviceguy]

4. If Brown loses, then I will agree with you

If Coakley loses, then it will be probably in part because stupid people saw the name "Kennedy" and simply acted out of habit. Clearly, this Kennedy saw the possibilty for at least a bit of confusion, and will exploit it.

[Arkana]

6. Most of the blame will go to her, however--she will have to defend the fact

that she lost a 31-point lead to a greasy fascist who drives a shitty old truck.

[wisteria]

3. Everything is a factor in this race now. The entire race is becoming a victim of overkill. n/t

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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

[RepublicanElephant]

7. someone needs to plaster dem neighborhoods with flyers featuring

a picture of kennedy next to a picture of sarah palin, with the caption:
"HE'S NOT YOUR FATHER'S KENNEDY"