RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

Coakley Low Road

By John Batchelor on January 13, 2010 at 4:00 PM in Current Affairs

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for cec5db_Ayla_01132010.jpg

  

BC Sings.  

COAKLEY1.JPG

Scott Brown’s two daughters, Ayla and Arianna Brown, leap into the contest within hours with a radio ad in order to turn the Martha Coakley attack as on Brown on women’s health issues into a counter attack on Coakley’s veracity and sense of decency.

Ayla Brown is a local celebrity after her appearance on American Idol as a Boston College senior.

The sisters read effectively and swiftly, and the audio is now aimed at the talk radio audience in Boston. (I can expect it to play during my show on WTKK Boston.)

Coakley’s campaign have made two fundamental errors. The negative ad was launched right after her poor showing in the Monday 11 debate, therefore emphasizing her despair.

Also, the ad goes after Brown on healthcare, which is his strength, not weakness, becaue a plurality of state voters are against Harry Reid’s healthcare bill (and likely against Harry Reid’s mouth). 

“Hell for Democrats.”  

Martha Coakley makes the negative ad much much worse with an unforced error during her bizarre decision to race to a faddish Washington wine bar and mix with $10,000 per plate healthcare lobbyists from every major pharmaceutical and from the usual suspects of Democratic ops (Tommy Boggs).

A GOP op who got inside the wine bar, reported to Hotline that Coakley told her faithful donors, “If we don’t win this, 2010 will be hell for Democrats.”

Coakley is speaking correctly, however it is panicky and ruinous for her to speak aloud for quote.  It is easy to assume that this remark will be a headline in all the blogs of the Boston Herald and a centerpiece of editorials soon enough

How many ways is it a bad mistake.  1.  It is true.  2.  It is the low road.  3.  It is a passive threat, almost a shakedown remark.  4.  It is weak, frustrated, disoriented, futile, blame-shifting.  5.  It is true.

Mention that the low road almost guarantees an advantage to the other guy, who is left the high road to mention you are on the low road.  A self-destructive low road.

Panic at the DNC.

Meanwhile the DNC is doing all that it can to emphasize the panic by sending its Rovian/ Richileau clone, Hari (the Hatchet) Sevugan racing to Boston to start up the attack blogs and feed the frenzy.

Sevugan’s best though was to ask why the Darkness Visible One Sarah Palin was not rushing to Boston on his plane in order to endorse Brown.  Other genius thoughts enroute.

The burlesque one Limbaugh communicated the usual philosophical monograph on his show within hours as to why he was featured in a Coakley attack ad on Brown?  The question is the answer.   

Crater Too Far.

Team Coakley will certainly have other genius notions as to how to drive down the turnout (negative campaigns suppress votes); but for now a favorite is that a lobbyist who attended the Coakley wine bar event in DC is said to have shoved a Weekly Standard reporter to the ground along a barrier, and there is video and a photo of the moment with Coakley in the frame.  The attacker is said to have been a union supporter of Coakley.  No charges filed so far.  Hard to imagine a dopier idea than to attack the GOP media in front of the candidate.

The wine bar escapade may have been the a crater too far for the Coakley campaign.

Coakley’s peculiarly tardy response is to fault GOP “stalkers” for the incident, apparently unaware (she does know this) that modern campaign requires both sides to tag along at the opponent’s events with a videocam and shouted questions (below).

Alas, it is flattery for a Senate candiate to name a reporter a stalker.

d44bf0_ktpcoakleypic.jpg

From the blog for my syndicated nightly radio show. Tune in at 9 p.m. ET via iTunes (click Radio, then click News/Talk Radio, and then scroll to WABC-AM).

  • timmy

    timmy<img src=”http://cdn.js-kit.com/images/icon10-external-url.png”/>
    Martha is not the enemy… I TOLTALLY AGREE!   But Reid, Nancy, Kerry and Obama are the enemies. Voting for Martha will advance these morons agenda. 
     
    Sorry, we have to kill our own to stop that souless fraud in the WH. My hearts goes out to Martha, but my mind is with Scott Brown. Scott must WIN this race……!!! 
     
    There has to be justice in this world. Obama, Reid, Nancy MUST pay for what they did in the 2008 DEM primaries.  Martha  will come out of this race as a better person. I personally like Martha.

  • I’m a Linda too

    Great post, thank you.

  • Docelder

    Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. – Abraham Lincoln

    In this case let man substitute for person in this age of equal opportunity. Is hanging with union strong arms something a state attorney general should be doing? Should she have interjected and told the union heavy to let the reporter alone? I think so, but as Lincoln said, if you want to test somebody’s true character give them power. Do the people of Massachusetts want this person to wield even more power? I wouldn’t. But that is just me.

  • elizabethrc

    In every possible way Martha Coakley shows weakness.  This attempt to blame the victim shows a weakness of character which is dispicable and cannot be tolerated.
    This story must be publicized with the picture of her standing by without helping or stopping her henchman.  And then she lies!

  • sybilll

    Meehan is an Obama appointee, and has since apologized.  I wonde4r if the Globe will now run the factual story, or stick with *the reporter stumbled?*  And, will they report that she was whoring herself out to Big Pharma, Insurance Companies, and lobbyists?  Politics is so ugly. 

  • Docelder

    Now Coakley is intimating she was being “stalked”.

    http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?&articleid=1225332

    But, I asked a very simple rhetorical question a couple of threads down. If she can’t run her own campaign, what makes anybody think that she can vote by herself?

  • Doc99

    Has she learned how to spell Massachusetts?

  • buzzlatte

    Coakley’s campaign is starting to have the unmistakable smell of desperation.

    Coakley appears to represent the past in MA while Brown is on message with the mood of the country. IMHO

  • Docelder

    This would be her potato(e) moment.  8-)

  • Docelder

    Coakley appears to represent the past in MA – Bitter clinger.

  • buzzlatte

    @ docelder:  LOL!  Note to Obama:  So who’s the bitter clinger, now?  

  • cat

    Coakley now accuses BROWN of going negative.
    She is too much.

    Coakley blames Brown camp for negative tone – BostonHerald.com

    She also called the WS reporter her goon knocked down a “Stalker.”

    I’ve seen all the excuses for Coakley, and all the lame reasons women should support her-because allegedly her hands are tied and “they” are “making” her do what she’s doing.
    I say bullsh*t!

    Coakley would have earned a whole lot more respect if she had instead taken the high road, stuck to her Healthcare guns, and not stooped to smearing her opponent with lies.

    She fails every test. Every last one.
    No one is “making” Coakley act like an asshole. She’s a big girl and if this is how she behaves under pressure I hope to hell she gets her ass kicked next Tuesday.

  • HARP

    New Ad

  • Yttik

    I like Coakley. I want to see more women in congress! It’s ridiculous that we’re at barely 17%. I think Coakley’s hit the trifecta of opposition, Pelosi doesn’t like her, she’s female, and the Dem brand has left a pukey taste in voter’s mouths.

    It’s sad, really. Dems exploit and abuse female candidates. Nobody stood with Coakley during the primaries and now they’ve convinced her to run this stupid ad that exploits rape victims for political purposes. To add insult to injury, they send John Kerry to Mass to help her out. Kerry, geesh!! With Dem friends like those Dems, who needs enemies?

    Luckily I can’t vote in Mass (without Acorn’s help), because that would be one heck of a difficult choice. But no matter what, I refuse to believe that Coakley is the enemy. No way, she’s a victim of the DNC and of the perfect storm that’s been brewing over the Dem brand. If Coakley looses Mass, it’s not because of Coakley, it’s because Obama has trashed the Dem brand and congress has tried to ram this HC bill down everone’s throats.

  • cat

    Just look at COAKLEY”S behavior-which she and only she is responsible for.

    The trash that is coming out of her mouth is inexcusible.
    She’s no victim.
    Winning the Senate seat is more important to her than truth and decency and principles.

    Making excuses for her is what Obots do for Obama.

    Shame on Coakley for shaking old people’s hands while she plans to go to DC and vote for a HC plan that will destroy their medicare!

  • stodghie

    yttik, i don’t vote for people because of their sex or color. i vote for them if i think they can help my country. to vote like that is almost as bad as these pathetic dims who vote the party line and ignore the welfare of the country. i am not interested in seeing palin in shorts or brown in the buff. i don’t care about that. these distractions and muddling thinking is destroying our country. pelosi sure as heck doesn’t care about the welfare of women and neither does this woman.

  • SYD

    I am with ya Yttik. Glad I don’t have to make THIS terrible decision.

    If I did tho… I would follow my VOTE FOR WOMEN OR DON’T VOTE AT ALL rule.

    Just sayin’

  • Tuppence 411

    I was considering sitting this one out even though I did vote for Martha in the primaries.  But the rabid, foaming- at- the- mouth, making Martha  out to be the devil incarnate all while casting Scott Brown as the new messiah– is pushing me to the polls to vote for her again. Sh!t if it keeps up I may just have to start working the phones for her myself and driving people to the polls.

    Her opponets are overplaying their hand. I think it’s gonna backfire just like it did in upstate New York.  She’s been a decent, hard-working public servant- any other year she would be a perfect fit as the Junior Senator from Massachusetts.

  • AnnieCarmel

    So you agree with how she will vote on the issues?

  • AnnieCarmel

    Would you expect that she will rubber-stamp the Dim positions?  How would she stand on her own after all this lobby money?  Those are the two things that would turn me away from her.  If I couldn’t vote for an opposing position, I’d stay home…but that’s just me.

  • getfitnow

    Your heart goes out to Martha? Did you read about the scuffle last night in DC outside her fundraiser? first they lied and said she was being stalked. Now as I suppose they have seen what was captured on video, Meehan, her guy has finally apologized to the reporter. This reporter was assaulted. She’s the AG and didn’t do anything but lie about it. ?She’s digging her own grave.

  • Peggy Sue

    I agree, Yttik.  If I were a Massachusetts resident/voter, I’d be torn on this one.  I think Coakley is the quality candidate caught in a sucky position.  On the other hand, I share the anger over the nonsense going on in DC. And Brown presents himself in an attractive, moderate manner.

    A tough one.

  • IndieDogg

    Uh, it’s not exactly shocking that a Massachussett(eee)s voter would vote for Martha Choke(ly).  Of course she would, in their mind, as is their right, be a “perfect fit” as the Junior Senator from Massachussetts.

    Uh, do we not know the politics of Massachussetts?  Do we not recall the recently Senior Senator from the State of Massachussetts?

    These people hunt Republicans down on Halloween and exterminate them (kidding, it’s a metaphor).  The shocking thing here is not that a Massachussetts liberal would vote for Martha but, rather, that so many people are voting the issues and not the history.

    So, let’s lay off the Chokely supporters.  They have a right to continue to vote for her because she’s a liberal Democrat who is chummy with big Pharma and unions and loves Obama Care.  That’s their right.

    After all, the point’s been made: This is the people’s seat, not the Kennedys’ seat.  Liberals are people, too.

    I happen to think she’s a poor choice, easily rattled, too close to too many power groups, too quick to cast stones without a basis, too much of a puppet for the impossibly inept, incompetent White House, and probabyl a few other things that do not recommend her, at least not to me, as a candidate.  But, she’s not the devil.

    Rham Emanuel has the outfit already, for next Halloween. So, one at a time, people.

  • sowsear

    A vote for Coakley is a vote for Obama and Obamacare. Vote for Coakley some other time. Vote #41 not #60.

  • raging

    nothing more disgusting than a man using women to attack other women, especially when it’s his kids. I don’t agree with Coakley’s platform but she’s not the only one coming off as “weak”.

  • Buttered

    and it can not be too too deep

  • armymom

    Well, as a parent, I know darn well my kids would stick up for me if they thought someone had went over the line. And that makes you mad why? They’re old enough to know what’s going on.

    As a woman, I would love to see more women in politics. However, I will not vote for a woman just because she is “vagina friendly”. That’s just as bad as all the blacks voting for Obama because he was black. I have relatives in Mass, who are die hard dems, however, they will be voting for Brown. They’ve had enough of the “party lines” and want a better candidate since ole Teddy’s done.

  • Nobama4me

    You mean Brown’s  daughters have rised up to defend their dad against the slime machine. And that’s disgusting??? I would be disgusted if they didn’t…

  • Defeat

    Coakley – NOW!

  • Mary cusack

    On my local station WHYN the new report says that the reporter was multitasking and he lost his balance.

  • Docelder

    On the contrary, the daughters can attack Coakley on equal footing in a way Brown can’t. But now he doesn’t need to. Even better, if she attacks the children back now she looks like a witch for doing so. Brilliant.

  • jbjd

    That’s what I wrote on this blog so long ago now.  MC already sided with power over the baby I reported was being abused and neglected in the custody of the state agency run by the man she described as her “mentor” when she was an ADA, who she told the press would turn the “troubled agency around.” And I said he was covering this up.  She sided with this well-heeled and well-connected Republican, never even examining the baby; or speaking with his pediatrician; or reviewing birth records.

    Then, we heard she went easy on a police officer accused of raping a 23-month-old toddler with a hot curling iron.  Her successor prosecuted the case; the Defendant is in prison for 2 (two) life terms.
    http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/06/some_saw_coakley_as_lax_on_05_rape_case/

  • TeakWoodKite

    getfitnow, The AG witnessed a crime in progress and did not have the perp cuffed.. the picture says it all.
    One “walk by” assualt on justice, one “drive by” asault on liberty. 
    gives new meaing to walking on the moon…

  • TeakWoodKite

    getfitnow, The AG witnessed a crime in progress and did not have the perp cuffed.. the picture says it all. 
    Just one small “walk by” assault on justice, just one small ”drive by” assault on liberty.  
    gives new meaning to walking on the moon…

  • TeakWoodKite

    Docelder, thank you for the quote.

  • TeakWoodKite

    jbjd, I recall you metiioned this first incident. Thanks for the link on the second.

  • Tuppence 411

    Number one- it’s the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
    Number two- anybody who knows me knows I am not a liberal. OK?
    In fact, my husband refers to me as a closet republican ever since the DNC screwed with Hillary.

    But there is no way in hell I am gonna sit back and let Scott Brown be casted as the messiah of Massachusetts.  He is a Mitt Romney clone Republican- pure and simple. Multi-choice, tax cuts for big business, buget cuts for programs for the disenfranchised,  no real health care reform solutions Romney wanna-be. 

    The man called his lesbian collegue at the Statehouse “not normal” for raising children  with her partner and referred to her ”so-called family”.  The man got so rattled over a couple of negative comments on facebook by teenagers he starts dropping the f-bomb at a high school assembly. And I  don’t have the patience  or inclination to bring up his voting record at the Statehouse right now.

    He maybe the 41st vote if Coakley can’t get her ground game together;  but he is no freakin’ messiah.

  • TeakWoodKite

    Buzzlatte, great smile you have there. :-D

  • TeakWoodKite

    yttk, My violin took me to a similar place regarding the democratic nominee, but that was in the first passage.
    I disagree that she is a victim. She had a choice to make and she sold out women in one fell swoop. Yes it was political but it WAS a choice. She either wanted the “Tea Party” / PUMA vote or she did not. At the point Pelosi injected herself and some fool democrat referred to the open senator seat as belonging to Kennedy, she made a choice.

  • TeakWoodKite

    IndieDogg, Rham is gonna be who for holloween?

  • Peggy Sue

    Now, I find this article very, very disturbing, jbjd.  I want to believe the best of Coakley but if I were a Massachusetts’ voter?  Something like this would give me great pause, make me scramble around and try to find supporting and/or alternative takes on the cases.

    And then, I’d still be in a quandry, trying to decide how accurate the reports are and whether to sit this one out.  Or vote for Brown.

    Because if the reports are true?  Coakley doesn’t deserve anyone’s vote.

  • Jackarooty

    I live in MA…
    She specifically referred to the stalker as a “SCOTT BROWN STALKER”.

    The back to back to back negative ads from the Coakley campaign have gone past annoying.

    Something to keep in mind…the CV has been that low turn out will be good for Scott.  The Dems are working hard to ensure that the older registered Dems get out to vote next Tuesday.  Well…a lot of the older and more affluent registered Dems are snowbirds and left the state at the end of last year.  They aren’t being exposed to the minute by minute bombardment of ads.  I’d be curious to find out what the percentage of absentee votes are sent during a special election held in January.

  • Jackarooty

    Huh?  Barry had no problem having Michelle dump on Hillary.

  • JustMe

    God that report makes me feel sick! jbjd

  • MrX

    Who’s the girl with the ’80s hair?  That. is. HOT!

    Also, is it time for someone to make a hitler parody of Coakley’s campaign?

  • thinker

    Obama’s legacy may well be the diminishing of party loyalty.  Nowadays people are more inclined to reject the party line and to vote for the best candidate regardless of party affiliation.   

  • Pingback: Elitist Coakley Blames “Stalkers” for Her Aids’ Violence Against Reporter Shoved to the Ground, Then Says Her Loss Would Be “Hell for Democrats” in 2010 « Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Gift of Eternal Life

  • bamaLV

    WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL THOSE ACORN AND GET OUT THE VOTE PEOPLE DRIVING ALL THOSE SENIORS TO THE POLLS IN MASS. WHERE THEY VOTE EN MASSE FOR SCOTT BROWN.  A NOTE TO SENIORS IN MASS. CALL THEM FOR A LIFT TO THE POLLS TO VOTE FOR COAKLEY AND THEN VOTE FOR BROWN.  WOULDNT THAT BE POETIC JUSTICE?

  • hj0

    GHD Hair Straightener is the world’s famous brands. It is our trusted brand. Refers to the latest technology, and provide consumers with the highest quality service . To give consumers convenient , at the same time care of everyone’s hair. Its use is very simple, in case of leakage will automatically power off to protection of everyone’s personal safety. When the temperature reaches a maximum , it will not stop flashing the lights, reminding everyone. In addition, the design was very nice, very lightweight. http://www.ghdhaironstyler.com

  • hj0

    cheap nfl football jersey, mlb baseball jersey, nhl hovkey jersey, nba Basketball jersey from China, we offer discount jersey on sale now! http://www.nhlbuy.com/

  • onnhl

    We also supply Professional hair straightenersCeramic,ghd mk4 ghd straighteners,ghd iv salon styler,ghd the limited edition high gloss ghd iv dark styler is now available as part of the ghd dark or pure campaignCHI flat iron,ghd iv dark styler ghd hair keywords: ghd iv dark styler,ghd iv styler , ghd iv styler straighteners,CHI Hair Straightenersand provide kinds of GHD hair straighteners.shop online with cheapest 4-7 day speedy ship time.GHD Hair Straightenercreates the look you want.Hair straightenersprotects your hair while styling.We offer cheap GHD,GHD straighteners whichever path you choose,fashion GHD Hair straighteners,perfect hair and loads of style await. this type of ghd iv dark styler had good look,girls are tend to love the beautiful and fashionable things which would make them have a good mood in a daywholesale CHI hair products,they are some specail useful features about this ghd iv dark styler brandHair straighteners,kinds of GHD Hair straighteners.If you want to buy a professional hair straightener or just looking for some good quality flat hair irons,then check out our shop. http://www.straighteners-chi.com/

  • onnhl

    We also supply Professional hair straightenersCeramic,ghd mk4 ghd straighteners,ghd iv salon styler,ghd the limited edition high gloss ghd iv dark styler is now available as part of the ghd dark or pure campaignCHI flat iron,ghd iv dark styler ghd hair keywords: ghd iv dark styler,ghd iv styler , ghd iv styler straighteners,CHI Hair Straightenersand provide kinds of GHD hair straighteners.shop online with cheapest 4-7 day speedy ship time.GHD Hair Straightenercreates the look you want.Hair straightenersprotects your hair while styling.We offer cheap GHD,GHD straighteners whichever path you choose,fashion GHD Hair straighteners,perfect hair and loads of style await. this type of ghd iv dark styler had good look,girls are tend to love the beautiful and fashionable things which would make them have a good mood in a daywholesale CHI hair products,they are some specail useful features about this ghd iv dark styler brandHair straighteners,kinds of GHD Hair straighteners.If you want to buy a professional hair straightener or just looking for some good quality flat hair irons,then check out our shop. http://www.straighteners-chi.com/

  • onnhl

    Dear friends from all over the world,We are a professional and reliable supplier of series of innovative,authenticand CHEAPIve written a letter of NFL JERSEYS,The Cincinnati Bengals of NFL receiver is being fined for his latest stunt donning a poncho and sombrero after scoring a touchdown this weekend a person in the NFLMLB JERSEYS,by the NFL for pretending to bribe an official a dollar.WhiNBA JERSEYS,was being reviewed during CincinnatiNHL JERSEYS.Dear NFL League Office being great means having fun n celebrating. apology to yall. This fine comes about a month after Ochocinco was docked and on Nov. 8 Ochocinco held a dollar bill in his right hand at his official,We supply all kinds of jerseys andWHOLESALE JERSEYSreprimanded le one of his catches 17-7 victory over Baltimorewith good priceandside but did not give it to thegood quality,welcome to buy and enjoy thegreatest benefits. http://www.onnhl.com/

  • halian

    we are Professional? with the highest quality service.on-line manufacturer supplies that wholesales all kinds ghd hair straighteners ,GHD Hair Straightener is the world’s famous brands and chi hair straighteners. Our CHI FLAT IRON,To give consumers convenient,at the same time care of everyone’s hair.CHI hair straightener,?Its use is very simple,in case of leakage will automatically power off to protection of everyone’s personal safety.GHD straighteners are popular all over the world with high quality, ?When the temperature reaches a maximum,it will not stop flashing the lights, reminding everyone.competitive price,In addition, the design was very nice, very lightweight.fast delivery.Dry autumn, is the hair of the most vulnerable physiological periods.shop online for genuine & authentic hair straingtener,Welcome to visite our website. http://www.hairupstyler.com/

  • halian

    Avatar is a 2009 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. The epic is set in the year 2154 on Pandora, a fictional Earth-like moon in a distant planetary system. Humans are engaged in mining Pandora’s reserves of a precious mineral, while the Na’vi—the sapient and sentient race of humanoids indigenous to the moon—resist the colonists’ expansion, which threatens the continued existence of the Na’vi and the Pandoran ecosystem..www.ghdhairon.com for Shopping CHI®&GHD® Hair Styler OnlineThe film was released in traditional 2-D and 3-D, as well as IMAX 3D formats. Avatar is officially budgeted at $237 million;other estimates put the cost at $280,310 million to produce and an estimated $150 million for marketingThe film is being touted as a breakthrough in terms of filmmaking technology, for its development of 3D viewing and stereoscopic filmmaking with cameras that were specially designed for the film’s production. http://www.ghdhairon.com/