General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAny theories about why the striking turn around in the Markey Kennedy race?
The pundits tell us it was the young progressives (who probably have only the vaguest idea of who John and Robert were) and older voters (who, I assume, don't approve of good people being chucked just because of their age). But why was Kennedy in the lead for so many months and then Markey won by over 10 points? What was the turning point and why?
tia
las
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,750 posts)but perhaps a lot more voters were impressed by AOC's endorsement of Markey than by Pelosi's endorsement of Kennedy. Just a guess.
LAS14
(13,749 posts)... it all hinged on Pelosi's endorsement. Markey supporters waking up to the fact that there was a real race here.
JI7
(89,182 posts)Mike 03
(16,616 posts)I don't live in MA, but heard an interview with Kennedy and he just wasn't that impressive.
The way one reporter described it last night, (paraphrasing): Markey is really well-liked and hadn't done anything wrong that the people of MA wanted to fire him.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)Not for long, at least. Markey is a liberal champion. I am glad he won. It was really bad form for Kennedy to primary him.
-Laelth
demosincebirth
(12,518 posts)obamanut2012
(25,911 posts)Klaralven
(7,510 posts)See the map
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/09/01/markey-kennedy-senate-primary-results
Markey took Boston, which was in his old congressional district 7, but he also took most of the northern and western Boston suburbs, except for some of the grittier ones like Lynn, Saugus, Revere ...
Kennedy took places like Salisbury, Haverhill, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, Springfield, Fall River, New Bedford, as well as his congressional district 4.
Not sure what that means for Kennedy's future prospects.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)Talking about stuff people actually cared about.
still_one
(91,965 posts)Kennedy, regardless of what anyone tries to say, are almost identical on the issues
unblock
(51,974 posts)the worst attack against markey was that maybe he didn't spend enough time in massachusetts with constituents. if that was true, having to defend himself in a primary solved that problem.
i also don't think kennedy offered a big enough difference.
this is not like when aoc primaried crowley. aoc is a force to be reckoned with, she has massive charisma and differentiated herself from crowley by being notably and unapologetically leftist.
seems odd to describe a kennedy as falling short in the charisma department, but this one is no aoc, and he didn't offer enough of a contrast to markey.
UTUSN
(70,497 posts)JI7
(89,182 posts)there were some appearances where he came off badly while Markey came off much more likable.
And his reason for running just seemed to be that he was a Kennedy.
This is when the numbers turned.
JI7
(89,182 posts)Kennedy had lost his lead some time ago.
Yavin4
(35,357 posts)Why? I dunno.