Free Republic

In the wake of over $1,000,000 in negative ads from the Republican Governor's Association Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill has crashed in the Rasmussen poll released today. In the same poll released on April 7th showed Patrick 35%, Baker 27%, Cahill 23%. The net swing over the past 5 weeks has been Patrick +10%, Baker +4% and Cahill -9%. Tim Cahill has also dropped into 3rd place among unenrolled voters showing Baker 36%, Patrick 28%, Cahill 21%.

BOSTON -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney said his campaign pulled a TV ad depicting his Democratic opponent Shannon P. O’Brien as anti-business, after admitting the spot showed edited comments. Another version of the ad that does not use an edited splice of O’Brien was substituted. The withdrawn ad features O’Brien during the Oct. 1 gubernatorial debate appearing to say, "We’re not going out to get big dinosaurs from other states." O’Brien’s actual statement was: "We’re not going out to get big Fortune 500 companies to move here. The only way we’re going to get them to move here is...

<p>The movement toward O'Brien has occurred since Mitt Romney entered the race, presenting a stiff challenge to Democrats. Romney's elbowing out of Acting Governor Jane Swift has produced new energy for O'Brien among female Democratic activists who resented Romney's actions, party leaders say. At the same time, Romney's candidacy has forced the party to make a realistic assessment of the general election chances of its gubernatorial hopefuls.</p>