# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/121 "2010-01-19T03:17:58Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That’s what they said about Hillary, and she lost the nomination to Obama. > She seems to have run a terrible campaign. Sort of like Hillary. Could be running as a female sucks. They show emotion they get labeled as weak. They don’t show emotion they get labeled as cold. I think men are given a lot more leeway because being male they are by default ‘strong’ and showing emotion is ‘character’ ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/122 "2010-01-19T03:59:23Z")
The two candidates’ personalities are mostly a red herring in my opinion. In most years everyone would be apathetic about the race and Martha Coakley would win easily. The problem is that lots of people seem to be getting cold feet about universal health care at the moment (especially older folks who are doubly afraid of losing Medicare somehow) and they are using this race to express that frustration. Those people are absolutely coming out the woodwork. Scott Brown may be in the right place/right time but he should not get a swelled head over it - it’s nothing to do with him personally. (Irrelevant aside - Martha Coakley is at least lucky she didn’t go to Harvard. The Harvard thing makes some people in MA insanely resentful. Just too close to home I guess.) ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/123 "2010-01-19T04:02:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Incompetent? Tell that to the 44% of the MA electorate who are Catholic. Just because they’re Catholic doesn’t mean that they actually have any regard for every point of Catholic dogma. Many Massachusetts Catholics are pro-choice and/or pro-same-sex-marriage. I’d imagine that the ones that are opposed to rape victims having access to emergency contraception are a tiny minority and weren’t going to be voting Democrat anyway. ---
**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, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/124 "2010-01-19T04:20:34Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Are you saying that Catholics are too stupid to understand that the MAP is not an abortion pill? Are you saying that anyone who is too stupid to know what the MAP is, as well as heartless and selfish enough to deny a traumatized woman proper care should be allowed to work in ER’s? I’m saying that Oakley is politically tone def on this issue. The MA electorate aren’t Vulcans. > [@](#): > > Who the fuck is Shilling, and who gives a shit? Oh, you’re quite the proxy for a MA voter all right! > [@](#): > > Won’t need it. A lot of righties are going to be very disappointed on wednesday. We’ll see. ---
**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, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/125 "2010-01-19T04:24:35Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Just because they’re Catholic doesn’t mean that they actually have any regard for every point of Catholic dogma. Many Massachusetts Catholics are pro-choice and/or pro-same-sex-marriage. I’d imagine that the ones that are opposed to rape victims having access to emergency contraception are a tiny minority and weren’t going to be voting Democrat anyway. This isn’t about anyone being opposed to access to emergency contraception. It’s about the long arm of the law requiring that every medical worker be prepared to offer that medication, regardless of his or her religious beliefs. ---
**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, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/126 "2010-01-19T04:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Are you saying that Catholics are too stupid to understand that the MAP is not an abortion pill? Umm, you do know that Catholic doctrine is against any form of contraception, right? ---
**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, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/127 "2010-01-19T04:31:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > This isn’t about anyone being opposed to access to emergency contraception. It’s about the long arm of the law requiring that every medical worker be prepared to offer that medication, regardless of his or her religious beliefs. Well that and that every medical facility also be prepared to offer that medication even if that facility is operated by a religious group that oppose it. (Yes, quite a few hospitals around here are run by the catholic church. (Caritas Christi system for example.) ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/128 "2010-01-19T04:39:41Z")
> [@Evil\_One](#): > > Now why would that happen? From what I’m hearing from Democrats, this is a completely local race with no national implications at all. I didn’t get that sense at all. This should be a very safe Dem seat and the fact that it’s close is very worrying. I don’t know much about Coakley though I would be interested to hear what people who know her think about her. What about her support for the Amirault conviction? Good, bad or indifferent? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/129 "2010-01-19T04:41:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oh, you’re quite the proxy for a MA voter all right! I assumed that he said that because of your misspelling of Schilling. While the bloody sock made him a legend, his sainthood has not yet been conferred. Now, if Ted Williams were still alive, you can bet that both sides would be clamoring for his endorsement. Calling Schilling a Yankees fan was just flat-out stupid. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/130 "2010-01-19T04:45:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > This isn’t about anyone being opposed to access to emergency contraception. It’s about the long arm of the law requiring that every medical worker be prepared to offer that medication, regardless of his or her religious beliefs. Yeah, I just don’t see that ensuring that rape victims have access to uniform standards of care, including MAP, regardless of the religion of those treating them is all that controversial here. After his amendment was defeated, Brown voted for the bill himself. Coakley isn’t _that_ incompetent, she knows that Brown’s position plays better with Republicans than it does with moderates around here, that’s why she’s mentioning it. ---
**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, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/131 "2010-01-19T04:54:46Z")
> [@notsoheavyd3](#): > > Well that and that every medical facility also be prepared to offer that medication even if that facility is operated by a religious group that oppose it. (Yes, quite a few hospitals around here are run by the catholic church. (Caritas Christi system for example.) What in Brown’s amendment would prevent that from happening? This was about letting medical workers opt out and letting someone else opt in, not about blocking access. ---
**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 19, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/132 "2010-01-19T05:11:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > This isn’t about anyone being opposed to access to emergency contraception. It’s about the long arm of the law requiring that every medical worker be prepared to offer that medication, regardless of his or her religious beliefs. What’s wrong with that? How can any intelligent person have a problem with that? If they don’t want to follow the job requirements, they need to find a different line of work. ---
**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 19, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/133 "2010-01-19T05:15:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > What in Brown’s amendment would prevent that from happening? This was about letting medical workers opt out and letting someone else opt in, not about blocking access. Delayed access is just as bad as blocked access, and nobody who would deny emergency medical treatment has any business being licensed to work in an ER. No way in hell should medical workers be able to “opt out” of giving emergency services. It’s just that simple. They have no right to impose their religion on anyone else, especially when doing so endangers them ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/134 "2010-01-19T05:27:47Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > They have no right to impose their religion on anyone else, especially when doing so endangers them They’re not imposing their religion on anyone else. They’re refusing to do something that violates their religious beliefs. ---
**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 19, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/135 "2010-01-19T05:33:27Z")
Then they need to find a line of work that doesn’t require them violate their religious beliefs (and it damn well does impose on others, since they’re impeding the _rights_ of others). It is harmful to have such people working in emergency rooms. ---
**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, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/136 "2010-01-19T05:54:39Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What’s wrong with that? How can any intelligent person have a problem with that? If they don’t want to follow the job requirements, they need to find a different line of work. Intelligent or dumb, would you rather have a) A clinic that doesn’t offer MAP, contraception and abortions b) No clinic at all There’s no C or D in my question, by the way. ---
**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 19, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/137 "2010-01-19T05:57:28Z")
Actually, there is a C. A law that says every clinic must provide the MAP. Everybody wins. It’s not particularly valid to try to exclude a real world alternative by _fiat_, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/138 "2010-01-19T06:06:19Z")
First of all, they’re not impeding the rights of others. You don’t have a right to have a doctor prescribe you whatever medication you want. Secondly, they’re not even keeping them from getting the medication. The amendment that Brown supported specifically says that if the doctor has a moral objection to prescribing the morning after pill, the hospital has to provide the woman with a referral to some place that will give her the morning after pill at no additional cost to her. It’s not unreasonable, it’s consistent with Massachusetts anti-discrimination law, and it’s less onerous on the woman than the proposed health care bill, which has a similar but stricter provision, which Coakley supports. ---
**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 19, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/139 "2010-01-19T06:08:13Z")
Everyone around where I live (Boston) is saying the senate election’s too close to call. I’m inclined to agree, however I also think that it’s nearly impossible to predict how things will swing when the polls open in a few hours. Bad weather is predicted,–snow, cold–not good for the Dems. This doesn’t mean Coakley’s gonna lose. She has her problems, however, some of them related to her personality, others to her professional career. I despise the woman because of her work in the Middlesex D.A.'s office. It’s a personal matter, and that’s me. Nor have I ever met the woman. She may well be, in person, charming and very nice, but I’ll never vote for her. Could there be others like me? Ah, there’s the rub! If there are, they,–we–will come crawling out of the woodwork today. Bad news for Coakley and the Dems; nothing to do with ideology. Me, I live less than half a mile from a polling place. Still, the election could be a major surprise either way. If Coakley wins big, in the Kennedy fashion, with a landslide, over 55% of the vote, which one cannot rule out, it’s no big deal, and the race will be forgotten the next day. However, if it’s 54% or less, it will be regarded, fairly or not, as a vote of no confidence for Obama from a blue state even though his candidate won. This is a sticky election. All Scott Brown has to do is win with more than 1% and he’ll be the most talked about politician in the country; his picture will be everywhere; he’ll make the news show rounds on the weekend. All the GOP has to do is give the Dems a run for their money, I’d say hold Coakley well below the 55% landslide margin,–for a ballpark let’s say 52-48% for Coakley–and you’ll hear commentators saying things like she’s “skating on thin ice”, has “a way to go” to win a full six year term two years down the road. In other words, they’ll be lying in wait for her to slip up. It’s a mean world, but that’s the way it is. To put the matter in a broader context, nationally speaking, Coakley has to win big over Brown or else. It has to be a blowout for the Dems or tongues down in DC will be wagging, and they won’t stop till the November elections. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114/140 "2010-01-19T06:15:33Z")
[Scott Brown Nude in Cosmo – Senator Scott Brown Nude Photo](http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/scott-brown-nude-in-cosmo) Well his clothes budget would be small. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-brown-really-beat-coakley-for-the-ma-senate-seat/525114.md?page=8)