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Again, I can't say for sure. I can say that I was born in this area, lived most of my life in and around Boston, and am living in the city now. In all that time my union-member father went from Kennedy Democrat to Reagan Republican. Meanwhile, the rest of the family remained true-blue dems, be they teachers or labor union members, or politicians on the local level with connections to statewise pols.

So I know something about the grip of the entrenched powers here.

At this point, I don't think Brown has enough juice to win, but that's only because I'm as in the dark about the anger that's in the hearts of the citizens as the dems are.

I think Coakley will win, but I hope Brown pulls it out. That's not terribly helpful, but it should tell you something about the conflicting thoughts and emotions of those in Massachusetts. I think the key will be fickle younger voters, who don't give a damn about the Kennedy aura, and who see Brown as vital and straight-talking, and Coakley as just another dull hack. It really may come down to likeability more than issues.