1/18/2010

Bay State's Blue State Blue-Collar Blues

I grew up in Massachusetts. Lived there through HS, then went out of state for college, and subsequently into the military. And while I have not really lived there in over 20 years, I do remember a few things about the place.

Michael Barone has a good look today at some polling in bellweather towns in the Bay State, and if I may, I would like to steal a line from him. He says those towns are "emblematic of blue-collar Massachusetts...despite the prominence of the state’s university communities".

This is a great point, especially how it relates to this election battle between Brown and Coakley. Massachusetts is known as a Democratic stronghold, and most people vote Dem because for a long time, there really weren't other viable alternatives, and 'despite the prominence of the state’s university communities' that doesn't mean it is a liberal stronghold. In fact most of Massachusetts comes from 'hearty stock', or in other words a Catholic, blue-collar background. And while perhaps not as conservative as other places in the country, as a voting block it is certainly more mainstream than the liberal crowd pulled in and retained by the magnet of Harvard/Radcliffe/Brandeis/Tufts.

What this really means is that a mildly conservative, blue-collar candidate has a lot of unrecognized and untapped reserve to draw upon when running to tweak the nose of Massachusetts' limousine-liberal elite. Call them the 'Will Hunting' voters.

Unlike the past when a liberal who lives in Beacon Hill, and the plumber who fixes his sinks and lives in Somerville could generally be relied upon to both vote for Ted Kennedy, this year the plumber from Somerville has a choice that easily appeals to *him* and will stick it to all those Ha-vahd snobs who have always looked down at him.

Scott Brown can win, because he authentically appeals to a voting block that has been taken for granted in the Bay State for a long, long time.....

4 comments:

Dangerous Dan said...

White print on a dark background is not easy to read. Other than that? Good point and I hope you observation is dead on.

Howie1 said...

Dangerous Dan,

Thank you for your service to the United States and the Republic of Vietnam.

Let's hope for a good outcome tomorrow.

Hyphenated American said...

American gift to Obama on the first anniversary of his presidency...

A republican Scott Brown elected to take over the Kennedy's seat in the most liberal state of Massachusetts. Way to go! I am curious what Obama will get for the second anniversary.

On a slightly different subject - O'Reilly is interviewing a liberal hack from Washington Post about Massachusetts elections today. He asks her if Obama's position will be weakened if Marcia Coakley loses the elections. The hack replies that it is highly unlikely. After exactly 3 seconds she asserts that Obama's trip to Massachusetts and his support for her fl edging campaign is a very brave action, which shows his political courage. No wonder legacy media is going bankrupt - it is staffed with imbeciles...

Dangerous Dan said...

Thank, Howie and I accept that on behalf of ALL veterans. I am particularly thankful for the young men and women that serve today (my son being one in the Ohio Army Nat'l Guard). They're all volunteers plus smarter and more lethal than we ever were. The country should be very proud of them.