Governor hopefuls stoke campaign flames - Massachusetts polling even - state in play

boston.com ^ | 10/25/10 | Noah Bierman and Stephanie Ebbert

[Fred]

MELROSE — With New Jersey Governor Christopher J. Christie offering a blueprint for GOP victory, Republican Charles D. Baker brought 800 chanting supporters to their feet yesterday as he promised to replicate Christie’s victories in Massachusetts.

In one of Baker’s most energetic events to date, Christie regaled the crowd at Melrose City Memorial Hall with stories of his election win over an incumbent in a three-way race last year and the confrontations with the Legislature over taxes and spending that followed, recounting it all with the gusto and bravado of a storyteller at a tavern. He playfully threatened to “go Jersey’’ on the crowd and even offered a mocking imitation of Jon Corzine, the Democratic former governor.

“I’m here to show you a living, breathing example of what you’re going to see on Nov. 3,’’ Christie said, summing up his more serious message.

Both Baker and Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat, did their best to motivate core supporters yesterday as a new Globe poll showed Patrick with a slim 43 percent-to-39 percent lead over Baker with only one campaign week remaining.

Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, running as an independent, drew support from 8 percent of those polled by the Globe. Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein had 2 percent.

“I’m still confident,’’ Cahill said as he shook hands and exchanged hugs with a long line of supporters at a Quincy senior center yesterday. “We’re working hard, and we’ll do everything we can until the real poll Nov. 2 — when people vote.’’

[AU72]

Cahill will not get that much on election day.

[ClearCase_guy]

I think everyone has figured out that Cahill is just trying to weaken the Republicans. He’s a fifth column for Deval Patrick.

[nmh]

WHo do you think will win?

I’m nervous about voter fraud .... .

[RockinRight]

Unless I’m missing something, Baker is NO Christie - not in personality, not in ideology...

[Peter from Rutland]

Considering the GLOB predicted a 15 point lead for Coakley over Brown, them calling the race is even is very good news for Baker.

[AU72]

Today the Empire struck back with some 'Big Dig' memos they 'just found' by Baker claiming he knew about the overuns but wanted to keep a lid on it until after a guberntorial election.

Patrick is campaigning on starting a graduate income tax. If he can't be beaten on that it's hopeless in Massachusetts.

[Fred]

It is as close as one can get in MA.

[SamAdams76]

If Patrick Duval is polling at 43 percent this close to election, he's toast. As others have pointed out, most of Cahill's total will end up going to Baker on election day. This is likely going to be a double-digit blowout for Baker.

Imagine how much a blowout this would be if we had a real conservative running for governor!

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Cahill's a fifth column for Deval Patrick.

The term of art is "straw". He is introduced to draw votes from a rival. Perot was Clinton's straw. Without Ross Perot, America never would have had the stain of the Clinton presidency. Put that on his tombstone.