He can, but as of this moment, I think he will lose by a small margin. I think the Dem machine is as powerful as it is corrupt.
In the end, even if he loses, I think it's another shot heard 'round the world. If a Republican can come this close HERE, then most of the rest of the country will realize they can topple their own dems.
He CAN win, but I don't think he will. I go back and forth but it's difficult to guage. Gov. Patrick is a joke, and it is just possible that enough people here have been let down by Obama that they might decide "What good is one more democrat in an all-democrat congressional delegation?
I am of course going to keep spreading the word and talking and then will vote. But every time I've thought that maybe this state wasn't as corrupt as all that, I've been let down. This is why it irks me when I see MA put down so casually on FR--I have thought this state was deeply corrupt for decades, while the PEOPLE are in large part sane. Look at how many LEAVE this state--why would they be bleeding population here if everyone is so happy with our liberal pols?
Sorry I can't give you more, but hope? Sure. There is hope. But I am not placing any financial bets.
The thing that strikes me about this situation is that you have a career politician hack (Coakley) who has never really had to run a campaign and is probably of mediocre talent as a DA who is being beaten into the ground by a guy who has fought harder, scrappier and smarter with less money and no machine. It shows the hardening of the political arteries for many democrats in seemingly liberal safe areas, which might make for good conservative unknowns to think about running when they otherwise wouldn’t and couldn’t win. Think political Darwinism.
You just described the Illinois/Chicago conundrum.