Prediction: Come November, Obama beats Romney by far more than the margin suggested by polls.

[MADem]

18. Good grief--you're **completely** wrong about my reasoning.

This has nothing to do with "memes"--Jesus, am I sick to death of that teen word!

I remember when John Kerry (before computers, before the internet, before LOL cats, before those frigging "memes&quot was trying to get the Tsongas CONGRESSIONAL (the one Niki is in now) seat in Lowell, and he carpetbagged his hiney into that town and was run out of there on a rail by people who didn't "like" his entitled attitude--he learned a LOT in that contest. You wanna see some "unlikability?" He was on fire in that failed race.

Just so we're clear, here-- John Kerry has been my senator since he sat his ass down in Paul's senate seat. Paul T. was my senator before that, and he beat Ed Brook (Barbara Walters' secret black republican lover) handily when Ed's marital problems started to become apparent.

Here's the truth--Kerry is an EFFECTIVE SENATOR, which is why he gets re-elected. His staff does a decent job vis a vis constituent services so he is seen as responsive. He's not terribly "likable" and that doesn't matter. He can be pompous, he can drone on--it's a joke when he bothers to show up at the Southie Breakfast on St. Pat's Day. He occasionally does dumb, rich guy things, like park his yacht in RI because the taxes are cheaper. This kind of thing gets noticed.

You know, it really pisses me off when people go off on a diatribe about getting "respect from his own constituents" when that guy has gotten MONEY and my vote from me, over and over again, for as long as he's been in the Senate. But hey, whatever--you have a magic crystal ball and you "know" what people are feeling just because they dare to say things that are obvious to anyone without blinders on. He gets my vote because he "earns" it, but I don't owe him any "respect" because he decided to run for office and in so doing, accumulated a bit of personal power. He owes me and the rest of the citizens of MA a duty to represent "We, The Damn People" well--and that's the way it should be.

Mitt Romney is horribly unlikable, and he's stupid, too. So what? It's not who votes, it's who counts the votes--we had a very stupid and likable President appointed by the name of Bush in recent history--remember that?

It's not a contest. I don't want to "trade" Senators so you go on and hang on to yours--or better yet, get out there and work for their replacements at every opportunity. However, I'm going to call 'em like I see 'em and not play any "meme" games while so doing. Our Senators and Representatives--indeed, all of our elected officials--are not gods to be worshipped, they are public SERVANTS, and we PAY them to represent us. We owe them no blind fealty, no favors, no nothing. They owe US an honest day's work for the generous salaries we pay them. John Kerry is NOT "Sammy Sunshine." He never has been, he never will be. But then, we don't pay him for that. So long as he continues to represent my interests as my Senator, I'll keep voting for him, getting signatures for him so his name appears on the ballot, and driving old people to the polls to vote for him. But there won't be any bowing, scraping, forelock-tugging, or any other expressions of "respect" -- if anything he should thank ME and hundreds like me who get off our old asses and GOTV for the guy quite faithfully.