It’s Not the Kennedy Seat, Except When It Is

By
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 12:17 pm

The big, Drudge-approved video from last night’s Massachusetts Senate debate is this one, in which GOP candidate Scott Brown says the seat he’s running for is “not the Kennedy seat and it’s not the Democrat’s seat — it’s the people’s seat.” I’ve been following the race for a while and this struck me as odd for two reasons.

Reason No. 1: Democrats have fretted for a while now that Martha Coakley’s sleepy campaign hasn’t sold Democrats on the necessity of voting on Jan. 19 to preserve Ted Kennedy’s legacy. And here’s a viral video of the GOP candidate dismissing the idea that voters should preserve Kennedy’s legacy. A fist-pump moment to Kennedy-haters, but there are far fewer of them in Massachusetts than Kennedy-lovers.

Reason No. 2: Back on December 29, Brown launched his general election ad campaign with a commercial called “Different People, Same Message.” It began with President John F. Kennedy — who held this seat from 1953 to 1961 — talking about his 1962 tax cuts, and continued by fading into Brown finishing Kennedy’s speech, in his words. Not only did it give away the fact that the Kennedy name remains very, very popular in Massachusetts, it gave Democrats an opening to thwack Brown when he turned around and said, as he did in this debate, that it was unfair to compare him to George W. Bush (“I’m Scott Brown!”) and unfair to call this the Kennedy seat. Coakley, who’s missed a lot of opportunities, missed that one too.

Brown then:

Brown now:

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Comments

14 Comments

Mark
Comment posted January 12, 2010 @ 4:33 pm

I am just one voter, but I am appreciative of Scott Brown who was pointing out that there are aspects of JFK's legacy that he supports, and that one political side cannot claim his legacy because of a family dynasty. President Obama had mentioned Reagan during his campaign. Perfectly acceptable and to me there isn't an inconsistency there. JFK was certainly the president of all the people. And I think it served to wake people up around here. Times have changed since the early sixties… political platforms have changed, even though the 'D' and the 'R' are still here.

Every one of Ted Kennedy's elections have been one sided. In my opinion this has pretty much kept many people from having their views represented becuase the feeling was, why even go out to vote (and yes I have voted for Ted in the past.)? Martha Coakley will not have Kennedy's power of 40+ years in the Senate plus the national angst and pride over the Kennedys, she will be a beginning Senator. So to me, this election should be “orthoganal” to the desires of the Kennedy's and others concerned about his legacy. We already had a special law changed here in Mass. to allow a hand-picked Kennedy loyalist serve in the Senate these past 5 months. This is about our representation, “We the people”, not royalty. Whether you agree with Martha or Scott, it is “the people” who hold us together in good times and bad. David Gergen attitude of “C'mon, it's Ted Kennedy's seat, how could you vote against what he wanted?” was responded to in a more than acceptable way, and in the only acceptable way in my humble opinion. I am an unenrolled voter who will be voting for Scott Brown next Tuesday.


mikesssss
Comment posted January 14, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

The writer of this blog is a retard and a loser


youmustbejoking
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 4:19 am

So are you saying you could do better? Put your money where your mouth is. Produce. David Weigel consistently provides interesting information and commentary. Where's yours?


Don
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

His comments had nothing to do with JFK. His point is that the seat is not Teddy Kennedy's seat, It is not the Democrat Party's seat, it is the people's seat. He did not insult the Kennedys or make a comment about their politics or their beliefs. He simply stated an absolute fact. The seat does not belong to the Kennedys nor the Democrat Party. He is telling the people to fill the seat as it was intended- with the person who best represents their voices. They do not have to vote for a Kennedy or a Democrat if those people do not represent them best. The people of Massachusetts are listening and they understand. This vote will not destroy the Democrat majority, it wil not remove Barrack Obama, it will give the people a chance to say “we are not happy with the healthcare bill, get to compromising”


Freddy
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 2:45 pm

David Weigal consistently provides slanted, LIberal propaganda and you are either too stupid to notice, or just don't care.


screwhim
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 2:52 pm

Ted Kennedy was the idiot brother of two better men (3 if you count the oldest brother who died in the war). He was a murderer, and a fall down drunk. Patrick Kennedy, the Sen from Rhode Island, has twice been arrested while in office. How is it that these people honor the memory of JFK and RFK? Give it up folks… just because they are related to great men doesn't even make them good men.


youmustbejoking
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 3:09 pm

Dude you probably think Faux News is “Fair and Balanced” when in reality anyone with brains knows they manufacture “news” to fit their scripts. I do a whole bunch of my own reading, not depending on any one source. But you obviously have nothing to stand on calling other people stupid. You demonstrate you are incapable because you resort to name calling instead of putting up anything resembling interesting or compelling dialogue. You must be looking in the mirror when you say that. Buzz off.


Don
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 7:42 pm

His comments had nothing to do with JFK. His point is that the seat is not Teddy Kennedy's seat, It is not the Democrat Party's seat, it is the people's seat. He did not insult the Kennedys or make a comment about their politics or their beliefs. He simply stated an absolute fact. The seat does not belong to the Kennedys nor the Democrat Party. He is telling the people to fill the seat as it was intended- with the person who best represents their voices. They do not have to vote for a Kennedy or a Democrat if those people do not represent them best. The people of Massachusetts are listening and they understand. This vote will not destroy the Democrat majority, it wil not remove Barrack Obama, it will give the people a chance to say “we are not happy with the healthcare bill, get to compromising”


Freddy
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 7:45 pm

David Weigal consistently provides slanted, LIberal propaganda and you are either too stupid to notice, or just don't care.


screwhim
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 7:52 pm

Ted Kennedy was the idiot brother of two better men (3 if you count the oldest brother who died in the war). He was a murderer, and a fall down drunk. Patrick Kennedy, the Sen from Rhode Island, has twice been arrested while in office. How is it that these people honor the memory of JFK and RFK? Give it up folks… just because they are related to great men doesn't even make them good men.


youmustbejoking
Comment posted January 15, 2010 @ 8:09 pm

Dude you probably think Faux News is “Fair and Balanced” when in reality anyone with brains knows they manufacture “news” to fit their scripts. I do a whole bunch of my own reading, not depending on any one source. But you obviously have nothing to stand on calling other people stupid. You demonstrate you are incapable because you resort to name calling instead of putting up anything resembling interesting or compelling dialogue. You must be looking in the mirror when you say that. Buzz off.


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Comment posted June 4, 2010 @ 8:08 am

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Comment posted July 26, 2010 @ 7:45 am

Ted Kennedy was the idiot brother of two better men (3 if you count the oldest brother who died in the war). He was a murderer, and a fall down drunk. Patrick Kennedy, the Sen from Rhode Island, has twice been arrested while in office. How is it that these people honor the memory of JFK and RFK? Give it up folks… just because they are related to great men doesn't even make them good men.


hermes birkin
Comment posted September 29, 2010 @ 9:58 am

The writer of this blog is a retard and a loser


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