January 18, 2010
Add City Councillor John Tobin to the list of Democrats upset with the way Attorney General Martha Coakley has run her U.S. Senate campaign.
"I think it's been a terribly run campaign," said Tobin, a West Roxbury Democrat. He added of Coakley's Republican opponent, state Sen. Scott Brown: "And I think he's run a pretty decent campaign."
The 11th hour appearance of President Obama over the weekend and the ramping up of Democratic organizations may be "too little too late," he added.
Tobin, who was among many in the Boston political delegation who supported U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary, added that "this is not sour grapes."
Tobin pointed to the late Edward Kennedy, who had held the Senate seat for 47 years, "brought passion and energy to the position." "I think we need a little bit more passion. That's why I was with Michael Capuano in the first place," he said.
Tobin isn't the only one raising concerns about the Coakley campaign.
Many Democrats have privately groused about the campaign, and according to CNN, White House advisers, while hopeful that the Obama visit helped stir up support, have told senior Democrats they expect Coakley to lose.
With polls showing a tight race, conventional wisdom is turning towards a Brown win tomorrow. But last month the conventional wisdom was that Coakley would win by a wide margin. And in 2008 the conventional wisdom was that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic presidential nominee.
Still, some remain incredulous that a Republican could be within striking distance of a seat once held by Kennedy. That includes an (perhaps perpetually) amazed Rick Sanchez, who asked Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray about the race on his new show Monday, "Rick's List."
"He’s done a good job running from his record," Murray said of Brown. He also pointed to the state's number of unenrolled voters, which a Gallup poll released on Monday put at 49 percent. (Democrats make up 39 percent of the electorate, according to the poll.)
Sanchez also asked about Coakley's Red Sox gaffe. On Dan Rea's radio show, she referred to Curt Schilling as a Yankees fan.
"Martha Coakley grew up in North Adams. She roots for the Red Sox, trust me," Murray said.