For Massachusetts Residents and Others: Why I am Voting for Martha Coakley Today

I rarely get involved with politics on this blog although I was clear that I supported Obama. There are two reasons I am voting for Martha Coakley today. The first is that I agree with her positions on the issues. That should be reason enough but there is another important one.

The second is that I am disappointed, not not surprised, in seeing one of the more dishonest campaigns I have seen run by Scott Brown pretending to be an Independent candidate in his ads.  He is a conservative Republican. That is his right. He won the Republican primary but I have seen many Scott Brown ads and never once seen the word Republican in any of them. He presents himself as an Independent in all of them. He must be embarrassed by his party affiliation. If he is dishonest in his campaign, how will he be on the issues? He is not an Independent but the majority of registered Massachusetts voters are.  Both sides have run negative ads, and some on each side might stretch the facts and that is too bad. Only Scott Brown is complaining about them while he continues to run negative ads with misrepresentations, another example of his dishonesty. 

If you share Scott Brown's conservative Republican views then you should vote for him. If not, I hope that you are not fooled by a slick salesman who drives a truck pretending to be an Independent.  Martha Coakley has accomplished some real results that have benefited tax payers. She is proud enough of her party affiliation to mention it in her ads. She also comes from modest means and drives an inexpensive Ford but does not campaign on her car choice. 

Unfortunately, as many studies have shown, women are often judged by what they have accomplished while men are often judged by their potential. I hope voters look at the actual accomplishments and positions of both candidates and make their choice based on their accomplishments and positions and not on whether you might want to have a beer with them. We already tried that. 

Comments

[John Maloney]

Hi - Thanks for the post. I was tracking the election at the popular prediction market -- Ireland-based InTrade.

http://www.intrade.com/

Coakley cratered badly and fast in these cash markets for event derivatives (outcomes).

Not sure the decisive election outcome were based on sexism or campaign style or even party affiliation.

Rather, Coakley's crushing defeat was a referendum on Washington's tin ear. People are just royally pissed with the arrogance of DC.

BTW, from outside The Bay State (SF) It looks like the Boston Tea Party -- circa 2010.

Anyway, prediction markets offer an uncanny view into these elections. They are a key, fast-growing social media and Enterprise 2.0 plank.

Govt is beginning to apply collective intelligence to all manner of issues. If this interests you and your readers then join the PM Clusters -- the w/w prediction market community sponsored by many market providers, including InTrade.

http://www.pmcluster.com/

BTW, another Mass congressperson, Barney Frank, hinted he may open up or at least safe harbor real money prediction markets this year. That will change everything in US prediction markets and collective intelligence.

-j