ALL Massachusetts DUer's: How did Kerry do in Kerry/Weld debates in 96'?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

Also, did the legislature change the laws to allow a special Election to replace Kerry?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. KICK

:kick:

[sniffa]

2. kerry mopped the fLoor with weLd

but not untiL the debate. prior to that, weLd had a doubLe digit Lead.
kerry was so caLm in the face of weLd peppering him for "being soft on crime" - weLd became fLustered and Looked Like an amateur.

as far as i know, yeah the "speciaL eLection" change was passed.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Kerry needs to kick *'s back end!!!!

It's the only way to win!

[polmaven]

4. Sniffa is right.

The Republicans were absolutely sure they were going to walk all over Senator Kerry.

Weld was a very popular governor, with a high job approval rating. He was pro-life, and fairly liberal, socially.

He had a large lead heading into the debate. Then...POW...Senator Kerry landed like a ton of bricks on his head. By the time it was over, Weld was praying for the stage to open up and swallow him.

The rest, as they say, is history.

[DU9598]

5. Yeah, but

Bush is the great debater - wink wink - and therefore expectations will be that he should knock out Kerry. wink wink

[chelsea0011]

6. Weld...60% approval rating and leading before the debates

Kerry clocked him, and Weld wasn't bad (although he looked like he was a drag queen in one debate....make-up was over the top). Polls then went in Kerry's favor and he won going away.

[sniffa]

7. it was fairLy quick too

wasn't it onLy a week before eLections that weLd stiLL had about a 12 point Lead? i was compLeteLy stunned by the resuLt - not just a weLd Loss, but a huge Loss.

[polmaven]

8. Sniffa, please explain?

I am fascinated by your upper case "L". You may have explained before, but I missed it. ;)

[sniffa]

9. L is for LiberaL

[polmaven]

10. OH!!!!

That is very cool! Thanks, sniffa!

[sniffa]

11. np

;)

[TaleWgnDg]

12. hey PROGESSIVE1 . . .

William H. Weld is very popular here in Massachusetts; he remains popular to this day. Weld was up in the polls in the double digits prior to the debate w/ Kerry. Weld, himself, has often said after that debate that Kerry was superb and an excellent debater. Weld lost the election by a huge margin. One caveat, however, Weld and Kerry are no low expectation and monosyllable droll such as GWBush . . . GWBush did lousy w/ Gore and still "scored!"

As for whether Massachusetts has changed its state law concerning the governor's ability to appoint a (temporary) U.S. Senator if that seat is vacant . . . well, the state legislature enacted (over Governor Mitt Romney's veto) a law which allows a special public election of the empty Senate seat. Hence, here in Massachusetts rest assured that the Senate seat will remain w/i the Democratic Party. Polls indicate that the most favored son for the seat is U.S. Representative Barney Frank. Frank wants the seat IF and only IF the U.S. House majority remains in the GOP. If the U.S. House goes the other way, Frank will get a plum banking cmte chair that he's wanted for years and probably will not run for the U.S. Senate seat. However, even w/ that event, the U.S. Senate seat will remain Democrat, absolutely!!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[sniffa]

13. frank running makes me nervous

if he runs, i see romney running against him - there are far too many freepers here for my tastes, in a state-wide eLection.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. I agree. I love Barney but all the redneck Massholes will mobilize

BTW the freepers here are more vocal because they are in a minority. There really isn't all that many.

[MallRat]

15. Kerry won, but Weld was no pushover.

Those debates were really outstanding. Substantive, feisty, and there were a lot of them, if I recall. Two very intelligent people going at it, mano a mano.

Ultimately, Kerry's campaign was able to recast the election as a referendum about the national GOP and not Weld specifically. Kerry won re-election by something like 6-7 points... it was stunning how big the victory was. Soon after that, Weld resigned the governorship and had his political career completely dismantled by Jesse Helms.

In retrospect, Weld, on his own, was a pretty decent guy: fiscally moderate, socially progressive. But just as marijuana use can lead to use of stronger drugs, Weld became somewhat of a "gateway" candidate for the GOP in Massachusetts. Once he got into the governor's office, people started voting Republicans into office without thinking about whether they were truly "Weld Republicans."

Our current governor is a beneficiary of this slow and subtle drift. Romney is fiscally conservative and socially conservative- he would have been completely unelectable in Massachusetts 10 years ago. But no one bothers to check credentials or positions anymore, and the Democrats put up a very weak candidate to oppose him. Game, set, match.

-MR