“Dead Heat” [Updates]
By Bronwyn's Harbor on January 12, 2010 at 7:35 PM in Current Affairs
UPDATES: Don’t miss the internal Democratic party memo, posted at the end of this blog post: “Internal Memo To Top Dem Donors Warns Mass Senate Race Is “Very Tight,” “Urgent””
ALSO: Tune in to John Batchelor’s radio show, on at 9:10 p.m, which will cover the Scott Brown saga. Tune in via iTunes, then News/Talk Radio, then scroll to WABC-AM.
Well, I’ll be damned. “Dead Heat” is the title of the e-mail I just received from John Kerry, urging me to help Martha Coakley. Does this sound a bit hysterical to you? Perhaps it’s because the latest Rasmussen poll shows state senator Scott Brown down by one to two percentage points to state attorney general Martha Coakley. (See “Election 2010: Massachusetts Special Senate Election” from Rasmussen Reports.)
Now, here’s John Kerry’s e-mail:
This is our wake-up call. Polls in Massachusetts are tightening, and one even shows a dead heat in the fight to keep Ted Kennedy’s seat in the hands of a Democrat who will fight and vote for jobs, health care, clean energy, and mainstream values.
The far right has launched a massive online fundraising effort, and Brown’s allies are blanketing Massachusetts with anonymously funded, shadowy attack ads by outside groups. Sound familiar?
[BRONWYN'S NOTE TO JOHN KERRY: Uh, excuse ME?!?!?! The "far right"? How dare you lump people like us in that group? And how about the Independents and Democrats who are horrified that, despite its unpopularity, Obamacare is being forced on the American people, many of whom, like me, are Democrats who lean Independent? And what's this about "shadowy attack ads"? Are those like the "shadow. anonymously-funded ads that you and Dick Gephardt, through surrogates, launched against Howard Dean in Iowa during the winter of 2003/2004?]
Kerry’s letter continues:
It’s time to stand with Martha Coakley. Your donation now could make the difference. Election Day is in one week. Can you step up?
They need $225,000? That’s a rather paltry amount compared to the $1,000,000 that Scott Brown raised yesterday alone.
Regardless, you’re now in an uphill battle against an awakened, energized, determined group of Americans — nationwide! — who are surging ahead of your candidate because Scott Brown is seen as a necessary cure to the strangehold you Democrats have in the Senate.
Let’s hope that this race scares the bejeezus out of every member of Congress backing this disastrous legislation solely conceived and executed to give Obama the glory he so desperately seeks.
UPDATE: “Internal Memo To Top Dem Donors Warns Mass Senate Race Is “Very Tight,” “Urgent””
In a sign of serious worry about the increasingly tense battle for Ted Kennedy’s seat, the Democratic National Committee and the Martha Coakley campaign have blasted a private memo to top national Dem donors claiming internal polling shows the race is “very tight” and making an “urgent” appeal for donations.
The memo, which was sent over by a source, is the latest sign that the campaign surge of GOPer Scott Brown has caught the Dem establishment off guard. It admits that the mobilization by big national conservative groups for Brown is “working” and acknowledges that the Dem camaign is “having trouble moving independents.”
“Our internal polling shows the race to be a very tight race that means we must do everything we can to ensure we are victorious,” reads the memo, which was written by Coakley’s finance chairman and sent to top donors late yesterday by the DNC.
“This additional assistance being spent on Brown’s behalf seems to be working,” the memo continues, alluding to outside cash being spent by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Club for Growth. “Polling shows that Republican voters are more energized than Democrats and that we are having trouble moving Independents.”
“We have a battle on our hands,” the memo continues, beseeching donors to “max out” with a contribution of $2400. “We cannot win this race unless everyone comes together and gives this race everything they can.”
The memo’s claim that the Coakley campaign’s internal polling shows the race to be “very tight” appears at odds with another leaked internal Dem poll that showed Coakley with a double-digit lead.
Separately, Ben Smith reports that the DNC is poised to sink $500,000 into the race — still another sign that national Dems see the need for an urgent last-minute push to salvage Kennedy’s seat.
*********************************************
Update: On a private conference call with top Dem donors today, Martha Coakley acknowledged that Scott Brown’s surge has been “frightening.”
..
HERE IS THE MEMO:
TO: Friends of Martha Coakley
FROM: Mary Liz Ganley, Finance Director – Martha Coakley for Senate
RE: Urgent MA Senate Race Update
DATE: January 10, 2010Many thanks for all you have done to support Martha’s senate campaign.
I have some urgent statistics I want to share with you regarding this race – we need your help more than ever and we are asking you to support our efforts now.
The American Future Fund, a conservative organization whose leaders helped produce the Willie Horton advertisement used against Governor Dukakis and the Swift Boat ad used against Senator Kerry have funded over $400,000 worth of airtime to bolster Scott Brown’s media presence.
We have learned that other right wing groups, the Club for Growth and the United States Chamber of Commerce, are considering running negative advertisements and making investments of potentially over $1,000,000.
Over the last five days, three public polls have been released that have had conflicting results. Last evening, Public Policy Polling released a poll showing Scott Brown ahead of Martha by 1 point. The Boston Globe poll released this morning has Martha 15 points ahead. Earlier this week, Rasmussen released a poll showing Martha 9 points ahead.
Our internal polling shows the race to be a very tight race that means we must do everything we can to ensure we are victorious. This additional assistance being spent on Brown’s behalf seems to be working. Polling shows that Republican voters are more energized than Democrats and that we are having trouble moving Independents. In the next seven days we have to ensure that we have the resources to call and talk face to face with our target demographics and convince them that Martha Coakley is the candidate to continue the legacy of Senator Ted Kennedy. We will also have to run an aggressive get out the vote program to make sure our voters go to the polls on Election Day. And to combat the negative attacks on the airwaves, we need to redouble our fundraising in order to respond these ads. To win this race, we have adopted a very aggressive television advertising schedule next week.
Here is how you can help:
If you haven’t already – please max out to the general election. The limit for the general election is $2,400.
If you have the capacity – please consider contributing to the Massachusetts Democratic Party Federal Account. The limit for that account per individual is $10,000 per calendar year. If there is anyone else that you can talk to – family, friends, colleagues and neighbors – we need these contributions more than ever. We have a battle on our hands. We cannot win this race unless everyone comes together and gives this race everything they can. Thank you for standing with us and for your support.
Overnight Address for Martha Coakley for Senate: Martha Coakley for Senate Schrafft Center 529 Main Street Charlestown, MA 02129 FED ID: C00466573 Overnight address for the Massachusetts Democratic Party Federal Account: 56 Roland Street North Lobby Suite 203 Boston , MA 02129 Make checks payable to Massachusetts Democratic Party Federal Account. TO GIVE ONLINE ….
by Ronald Scott
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