Nominally an extremely safe seat for the Democrats, the Democratic candidate Martha Coakley should be a shoe-in.
And yet Republican former centrefold star Scott Brown, once voted by Cosmo as America’s Sexiest Man (the link is fairly safe for work, but does contain a tastefully cropped naked man) has been closing the gap in the polls, and in some cases even taken a lead.
Of key importance in this battle is the senatorial supermajority, which we have covered on The Voice in the past. In the US senate, a party with 60 of the 100 senators – or the votes of 60 senators – can move a vote of cloture which can end a filibuster. This removes from the minority party a powerful tool to veto legislation by talking it out. This has become all the more fraught recently since Obamacare, the extremely controversial healthcare legislation currently under consideration. If the Republicans win the Massachusetts, the Democrats lose their right of veto and they could lose Obamacare.
Here’s a video for each candidate to give you a flavour of the battle.
First, President Obama is staking his political reputation to support Martha Coakley and underlining the future of Obamacare:
Last November’s contest has dragged on, primarily as a result of a protracted legal battle in closely fought Minnesota. Last week, however, incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman finally abandoned his legal suit after the State’s Supreme Court found unanimously in favour of Democrat Al Franken, the liberal former radio talk show host and author of ‘Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right’. Franken is becoming adept at getting his way in the Courts, Fox News having failed in their bid to sue him for …
Katharine Pindar There is hot competition on your fourth choice, Michael Cole, notably from the Greens, and I personally don't find the first arresting. From our Preamble, we sh...
Mary Reid So Matt Hancock has apologised for breaking social distancing guidelines, not for being unfaithful to his wife. But I agree with Ed about the priorities here....
Fiona Apologies Alex, I didn't mean to assert we/you were stealing votes from Labour. Just pointing out that is what will be said, whilst others will be mocking us fo...
Mary Reid Bill Brisbane, who won in Chichester, has form in defeating Labour. In 2014 he made inroads into the only Labour held ward in Kingston by splitting the vote and...
Helen Dudden I think this shows Hancock to be done I couldn't trust. How hurtful for his wife and family. The same goes for his friends family and children.
As a woman I ...
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Katharine Pindar 
Mary Reid 
Fiona 
Helen Dudden 