Question for Massachusetts residents--

Are Coakley and Brown the only options on your ballot?

Is there a space for write-ins?

Are spoiled ballots counted? Would it make the news if a large percentage of ballots were spoiled, such as both candidates' names being crossed out?

I wish that even angry Democrats would show up and express their displeasure in a way that is COUNTED, because you know full well that a win by Brown will be touted as "Massachusetts turning red." In addition, the DLC will say, "See, Coakley was too liberal."

My opinion as an outsider is that you need to go to the polls anyway and make your displeasure known.

That kind of asinine concept nearly got us 6 more years of Senator Coleman.

It was absentee ballots not being counted (my mother and stepfather's votes were negated by this ruling) and Independents being swayed by the manufactured outrage over the Wellstone memorial service.

Third party votes were a negligible factor.

In 2008, there was little defection among the Dems, even though there was a strong progressive challenger for the nomination.

The problem was that for the average naive voter, Coleman had done nothing obviously scandalous, so he had the incumbent's advantage.

The Dems really hated him, though, so that's why they voted overwhelmingly for Franken, even if they weren't enthusiastic about him.

There was no significant third party challenge in that race.

With names being scratched out partially causing havoc.

It was mostly the incumbency advantage for Coleman.

Only knowledgeable Dems actually hated him enough to seek an alternative.

Coleman was strong in the rural areas, which he made an effort to cultivate.

changed the outcome!

shouldn't try to co-opt or eliminate left-leaning candidates.

This didn't happen in Minnesota (except in the case of Amy Klobuchar, whose supporters were utterly obnoxious to supporters of other candidates in the primary), but it has happened in other areas.

Just for the record, I voted for both Klobuchar and Franken, although in the case of Klobuchar I practically had to force my hand to make the mark.

Because that is what will happen if he wins. It goes way beyond letting our displeasure known. First off, I do not want my state represented by a teabagger, and second; yes, as John From Lowell over at BlueMassGroup has pointed out:

And I hope he gets 5%

And every percentage point he gets could come at a very high cost.

:loveya:

I'm pretty sure his party affiliation has to be listed on the ballot and that the Kennedy's have insisted on the "no relation to..." disclaimer on all news reports so hopefully people will be well-informed that he is not who he wants them to think he is...

doesn't exist any more.

And I don't think the party will move to the right. I think they'll learn not to sit on big leads.

It was for people who were determined to stay home.