It is true that for it’s supposed ‘progressivism’ women in general have faired very poorly in MA elections. Coakley may be the highest that a woman has reached on her own. (As opposed to Healey or Swift.)
Of course, MA has tended to have mushy-poor or tin-ear female candidates on both sides. On the other hand, the state went strongly for Hillary in ‘08, so I tend to think the fault has been with the candidates more than with sexist voters.
The most impressive woman in MA politics over the years has been Barbara Anderson, and she fits perfectly the mold that Palin talks about in being to effect change without a political title. She’s the real community activist whose Citizens for Limited Taxation got Prop 2 1/2 through.
*its*