Brown Wins it!

[freeradical]

With a 4.8% margin of victory, what's the point in counting absentee ballots?

Even if every last one of them is a vote for Coakley, it's not going to change the outcome.

In any case, a lot of absentee ballots have probably already been counted if Massachusetts is anything like all of the other states that encourage absentee voting - even if you're going to be in town on election day.

[JoeH]

freeradical wrote:
With a 4.8% margin of victory, what's the point in counting absentee ballots?

Even if every last one of them is a vote for Coakley, it's not going to change the outcome.

In any case, a lot of absentee ballots have probably already been counted if Massachusetts is anything like all of the other states that encourage absentee voting - even if you're going to be in town on election day.

Counting of some absentee ballots is required under Federal law for national offices such as Senator. Especially any from military overseas, even if it will not effect the outcome. As for already having counted them, they are not allowed to open the return envelopes until election day. They also have to verify that each is from a voter who did not end up showing up at the polls and voting there. With officials and election volunteer workers busy taking care of the polls, absentee ballots get counted later.

So, even if it will not change the outcome, they do have to follow proper procedure. And the total number of absentee ballots is not known until they are counted in all towns. The town clerks can not assume they do not matter just because there is a large victory margin in the unofficial counts reported election evening.

[Gutenberg]

It is ridiculous that progress is halted by one state. The rules of the Senate need to be revamped.

[Mac1337]

The sooner you realize people don't want this healthcare the better you sleep at night. It is not just "one" state. Most people like what they have. Healthcare never was a burning issue.

[rgG]

Dakota wrote:
Most people like what they have.

I do not believe this.

[OWC Jamie]

Dakota wrote:
Wingnuts won! In MA of all places. How sweet it is. It just show that people were sick of Ted too but out of respect kept voting for him. As soon as he was out, they threw out his party too. Oh, all those who were drooling over Europe this, Europe that might as well get themselves a ticket. It ain't gonna be Europe here anytime soon. No 6 week vacations for you.

No one was 'sick of Ted'.
Ted worked 'his ass off' for Massachusetts voters. No one screws up in Chappaquidick or Florida and maintains support like he did because they go to Washington and do as little as they need to to get by.
Brown got out and shook hands. He ran an upbeat campaign. The truck thing was silly, but it worked. He was seen. Working. Caring. Perception. Looking one hell of a lot more like a Ted Kennedy than Coakley did. He didn't run on stopping health care reform. He ran on stopping a bad bill. He ran on not being a typical Republican, but somewhat independant. He sure hasn't been touted as a Republican jewel except by opposing pundits. I don't see him as being anything extraordinary, nor probably making it in 2012.
We may be rather liberal here in Ma. We're not cardboard cutout lemmings.
Give us the same old $hit and our progressive leanings get inflamed. Even if it means throwing another polished turd right back at ya.

[OWC Jamie]

A heretofore virtually unknown independant republican from Ma. is going to make changes in Washington when even the President hasn't been able to ?
I don't think so.
He has a truck, not a magic wand .
-------------------------

I'm rather surprised at the margin.
I expected a lot closer race despite some of the polls.
(The Boston Globe polls are valuable eh? ) :-)
I wouldn't have been shocked at recount upon recount going- on- for- weeks kind of close.

[SteveO]

Dems (at least Senate Dems) will not grow a pair. I doubt the House will, either. They are all -- along with the repugs -- a bunch of corporate whores.

[JoeH]

billb wrote:
[quote=Dakota]
Wingnuts won! In MA of all places. How sweet it is. It just show that people were sick of Ted too but out of respect kept voting for him. As soon as he was out, they threw out his party too. Oh, all those who were drooling over Europe this, Europe that might as well get themselves a ticket. It ain't gonna be Europe here anytime soon. No 6 week vacations for you.

No one was 'sick of Ted'.
Ted worked 'his ass off' for Massachusetts voters. No one screws up in Chappaquidick or Florida and maintains support like he did because they go to Washington and do as little as they need to to get by.
Brown got out and shook hands. He ran an upbeat campaign. The truck thing was silly, but it worked. He was seen. Working. Caring. Perception. Looking one hell of a lot more like a Ted Kennedy than Coakley did. He didn't run on stopping health care reform. He ran on stopping a bad bill. He ran on not being a typical Republican, but somewhat independant. He sure hasn't been touted as a Republican jewel except by opposing pundits. I don't see him as being anything extraordinary, nor probably making it in 2012.
We may be rather liberal here in Ma. We're not cardboard cutout lemmings.
Give us the same old $hit and our progressive leanings get inflamed. Even if it means throwing another polished turd right back at ya.
Thanks billb for pointing out the obvious about Ted Kennedy. The closest anyone came to him in the re-elections over the 46 years he was our Senator was in '94. He still won with a 58% to 41% margin over Mitt Romney.

Appearance of caring probably meant a lot in this short election. Coakley just plain ran a poor campaign. The Brown truck ad was silly, and even though it fell totally flat on people out here who actually use their trucks to make a living, it apparently resonated with others elsewhere in the state. Then, no one will ever be able to figure out how many votes Coakley's bit about Curt Schiller cost her among Red Sox fans, but that was good for a bunch for Brown.

P.S. Here is a map of the town-by-town results, http://www.boston.com/news/special/polit...sults.html.

[swampy]

Gutenberg wrote:
It is ridiculous that progress is halted by one state. The rules of the Senate need to be revamped.

No the Constitution would have to be revamped and that ain't gonna happen any time soon.