# Can Brown really beat Coakley for the MA Senate seat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 15, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114 "2010-01-15T19:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/181 "2010-01-19T21:14:56Z")
Sagittarius. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/182 "2010-01-19T21:24:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t know. Which party was the first to do so? My history is a little rusty, especially when it comes to the 18th century. The Whigs. What made them think they could even get away with it? Everyone knew there were only **three** voters in the borough of Old Sarum, not five! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/183 "2010-01-19T21:35:41Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > _Kerry_ is an _ultra_-liberal? > > What is Chomsky, then? In the American political tradition Chomsky isn’t liberal, he’s radical - a socialist and sympathizer of anarcho-syndicalism. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/184 "2010-01-19T21:53:58Z")
> [@john\_b\_2](#): > > Brown, if elected, would have to move to the center or he won’t remain in office for more than two years. Senate. Six years. ETA: Oops, in his case his term is up when Kennedy’s would have been, right? Is that 2 years? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/185 "2010-01-19T22:04:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Senate. Six years. > > ETA: Oops, in his case his term is up when Kennedy’s would have been, right? Is that 2 years? Actually almost 3 years. That particular seat is up for reelection in 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/186 "2010-01-19T22:33:00Z")
So are there any solid numbers yet? I realize that the polls aren’t closed yet, but are there any preliminary results from exit polls or the like? ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/187 "2010-01-19T22:34:44Z")
Summary of recent polls all have Brown up - could be interesting. [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/ma/massachusetts\_senate\_special\_election-1144.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/ma/massachusetts_senate_special_election-1144.html) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/188 "2010-01-19T22:41:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Looks like God changed her mind. First thing I heard when I turned on the news this AM was snow in much of MA today. 😉 I’m reminded of the golfer joke with the voice from heaven saying “oh shit, I missed” because we’re getting a lot more snow than predicted for today. God should have aimed a bit more south! ---
**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/189 "2010-01-19T22:54:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So are there any solid numbers yet? I realize that the polls aren’t closed yet, but are there any preliminary results from exit polls or the like? No exit polls. Apparently this was considered so in the bag for the Dem that there was no major push from any major news source to do any exit polling. So it’s a mystery until after 8pm. ---
**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/190 "2010-01-19T22:57:43Z")
A quick link that talks about the lack of exit polling for anybody that cares. [http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2608123/exit\_polls\_for\_massachusetts\_senate.html?cat=9](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2608123/exit_polls_for_massachusetts_senate.html?cat=9) ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/191 "2010-01-19T23:49:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Or provide it. > > I don’t care if you close it, since if you won’t provide necessary care, you’re of no use anyway. You never disappoint me when it comes to showing your fundamentalism. (I’ll stop my hijack) ---
**Author:** ![john\_b\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/192 "2010-01-20T00:33:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > _Kerry_ is an _ultra_-liberal? > > What is Chomsky, then? Chomsky: radical ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/193 "2010-01-20T01:48:52Z")
I am going to be the 1st to call this race. Brown has a 53% to 47% lead other Coakley with about 44% of the votes in. That is a big lead and if it is somewhat representative of all polling places in the state, Massachusetts now has a new great senator that no one saw coming even a few weeks ago! Amazing. I have to keep updating my percentage of the votes in this post but they remain the same since I started it a few minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/194 "2010-01-20T02:10:21Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am going to be the 1st to call this race. Brown has a 53% to 47% lead other Coakley with about 44% of the votes in. That is a big lead and if it is somewhat representative of all polling places in the state, Massachusetts now has a new great senator that no one saw coming even a few weeks ago! Amazing. Yeah, the voters of Massachusetts apparently think the way out of this mess is to keep the Bush tax cuts, refuse to regulated the financial services sector, refuse to rein in defense spending or Medicare, and to bitch about how Democrats spend money. Didn’t we already try that plan? Anyone recall how it worked out? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/195 "2010-01-20T02:11:27Z")
63% of the vote is in, same %s as in Shagnasty’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/196 "2010-01-20T02:13:49Z")
Boston hasn’t come in yet, but yeah, it looks like the Republicans might be able to steal one. Normal off election stuff. The out party turns out more people (though it sounds like the Republicans might have cheated again too). The Senate just needs to find a way to stall seating this clown until health care is passed. Let’s Norm the little jerk. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/197 "2010-01-20T02:16:59Z")
If this holds up, the “rats” will be abandoning the sinking ship trying to save their own asses ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/198 "2010-01-20T02:21:52Z")
According to Drudge, Coakley just conceded to Brown via phone ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/199 "2010-01-20T02:22:56Z")
AP projects Brown win at 9:22, Maddow reports that Norah O’Donnell has confirmed that Coakley has conceded. ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/200 "2010-01-20T02:24:51Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Yeah, the voters of Massachusetts apparently think the way out of this mess is to keep the Bush tax cuts, refuse to regulated the financial services sector, refuse to rein in defense spending or Medicare, and to bitch about how Democrats spend money. Didn’t we already try that plan? Anyone recall how it worked out? Yeah, that plan hasn’t been working out too well for Obama in his first year in office. Or did you mean the guy who preceded him? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114.md?page=11)