Campaign Update

[Jim Barnett]

There is a great deal at stake in next year's election. We are entering the fourth year of a disastrous economic downturn that requires us to return to the principles of free enterprise, hard work and innovation. Senator Brown has made it his mission to reduce taxes, spending, over-regulation and the size of government – all of which are making economic recovery more difficult. His top priority has been and will continue to be putting America back to work. His ambitious jobs agenda contains legislation to cut red tape and taxes, expand job opportunities for veterans, and give millions of underwater homeowners the opportunity to save thousands of dollars a year by refinancing at lower interest rates.  He has been a leader for our local biotech, healthcare and fishing industries.
 
Senator Brown was deeply moved by his experience in Afghanistan this summer, where he requested that he be able to fulfill his National Guard training and served side-by-side with military members from Massachusetts and around the country. As a 31-year member of the National Guard, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, Senator Brown's unique perspective on matters affecting national security, our military and veteran community was strengthened by the boots-on-the-ground look at the nature of the war on terror. He also came away with a new appreciation for the service and sacrifice of the many people who are fighting so we can enjoy our freedoms at home.
 
We head into the final quarter of 2011 in strong shape for next year's re-election campaign. Senator Brown has great personal attributes and high job approval numbers. He's viewed as an honest broker who connects with people because he's an open-minded and independent thinker who does what's best for Massachusetts. One of the year's highlights was the publication of Senator Brown's memoir, "Against All Odds," a New York Times bestseller that chronicled Senator Brown's difficult childhood of physical abuse and broken homes. The story of a young Scott Brown -- who was shunted from one home to another, seventeen times over his first eighteen years -- overcoming the odds in his rise to national prominence has further endeared him to voters.
 
Fundraising over the last year has been especially solid. Although we have yet to report our Q3 numbers, Senator Brown had amassed a war chest of nearly $10 million through the first half of the year. This is largely due to our success in building an impressive Massachusetts-based finance team and to the tremendously positive response we have received from the people of Massachusetts as we have shifted the focus of our fundraising to in-state events as opposed to the largely out-of-state online donations that fueled the 2010 Special U.S. Senate election.  We anticipate the Democratic nominee will be well-funded and be the beneficiary of millions of dollars in third-party spending by outside special interests whose discredited attacks have continued in the 20 months since Scott’s election.
 
The political environment for a Republican running in Massachusetts is generally thought to be difficult, but the standing of Democrats has been steadily deteriorating due to the bad economy and a widespread culture of corruption that is alienating the state's voters. Recently, former House Speaker Sal DiMasi was sentenced to eight years in prison for taking a hidden share in a state contract -- the third Democratic speaker in a row to resign in shame. Following DiMasi's sentencing, a former probation commissioner and the top aide to former State Treasurer Tim Cahill were indicted in a patronage scandal. The effect has been to up "the sliminess index" on Beacon Hill, as Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi put it.
 
On the jobs front, the national unemployment rate has risen to 9.1%, creating misery for millions of people across the country. While the Massachusetts rate is below the national average at 7.4%, it is still unacceptably high and well above the 4.7% rate that existed when Democrats took over the governor's office five years ago. It also does not include hundreds of thousands of people who have either stopped looking for employment, or are employed in part-time jobs when they really want full-time work.
 
As the outsider party in Massachusetts, Republicans have enjoyed a resurgence. Last month, Keiko Orrall, a Republican, won a special election to the Massachusetts House, putting the 12th Bristol seat in GOP hands for the first time in more than 30 years. Prior to that, in May, Republican Peter Durant defeated Democrat Geraldo Alicea in a special election for the 6th Worcester district. The results of these two special elections increased the Republican numbers in the House to 33, building on substantial gains made in last year's election.
 
Whomever Democrats nominate for U.S. Senate next September will invariably support the same failed tax, borrow and spend policies that keep our economy teetering on the brink of recession, millions of Americans in the unemployment line, and which voters in the state are rejecting at every opportunity. 
 
They will have engaged in a year-long highly public battle to position themselves as the candidate most appealing to liberal base primary voters.  Although Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin in the state, their numbers pale in comparison to the growing number of independent voters who now make up a majority of registered voters.  A long, divisive and expensive Democrat primary will undoubtedly produce a hard-left ideologue whose out-of-touch philosophy will be out-of-step with these voters
 
Further, a large proportion of Democratic general election voters will be more moderate and conservative ethnic and working-class voters who appreciate Scott Brown’s common-man appeal and common-sense policies.  They helped deliver victory to Scott in 2010 and will be a key group within Scott Brown’s winning coalition in 2012.

[Mark Zinan]

Here's my impression from my progressive friends.

1.  They want a scapegoat.  This year's scapegoat is Wall Street and big business in general. They found a unifying theme, 1 percent control everything, the rest of us 99 percent, now share a common bond.  Which could encompass anything from "Hey, they are wicked rich and we are not", "they are screwing us", etc. It's a common bond feeling.  That's why Liz Warren dropped the "I started Occupy Wall Street", she glammed onto this underlying current of disconnect. (Plus the CFPB which nobody knows what it does but everybody is glamming onto that too.)  The Republicans are feeding into this by appearing to be enablers of the extremely wealthy. Which is the classic Democrat stereotype for class warfare.  That's why I am looking for a good rebuttal to this theme. In any other scenario, President Obama would be serious trouble after 3 years but he isn't.  Plus he has charisma and speechmaking.  Whew, I'm done.

 

[Mark Zinan]

"Further, a large proportion of Democratic general election voters will be more moderate and conservative ethnic and working-class voters who appreciate Scott Brown’s common-man appeal and common-sense policies.  They helped deliver victory to Scott in 2010 and will be a key group within Scott Brown’s winning coalition in 2012."  I sincerely hope you are correct.  But right now the message is not out there IMO.

           

[Mark Zinan]

Right now the surge is on the left, the left is extremely activated/agitated/and shooting for bear in 2012.  I can sense it from my FB friends, work colleagues, the entire media.  The class warfare/99 percent argument is going to the main driver of the left in 2012.

IMO, Scott and any Republican canditate needs a response.  It has touched a nerve for the left and got their mojo going strong.

 

[Ralph Zazula]

Congratulations to Scott for winning Tuesday's debate in Lowell.

[Kristi L. Devine]

NICE Job Jim!  That was one of my pet peeves last time around, i.e., not a lot of interaction with the Campaign Manager, and the supporters.  If you go look at the old blogs you will see I was quite vocal, including shouting "Campaign Managers Where Are You".  Many of us had never campaigned for anyone before and would have appreciated a little more support and guidance.  I felt, and I'm sure others did, like I was a one man band working around the clock to get him elected, making it up as I went along.  Worked out okay in the end, and as a result I demanded (nicely) to be the first responder to all volunteers for the McKenna 4 AG campaign, and have to admit I truly enjoyed getting to know and work with all those people.  So, hearing from you is a plus, and encouraged, especially since there is some resistence out there from some old die hard supporters that need to be (re) won over.  Oh I'm sure they will begrudgingly pull the lever for Brown due to the alternative, but even better would be if we can get them to support Brown in the interim = )

[Jim Barnett]

Hi Everyone - I appreciate all your comments and look forward to working with you toward victory in 2012.  As we begin ramping up, you'll be hearing more from the campaign.  Thanks for your involvement and support.

 

All the best,

 

Jim Barnett

Campaign Manager

[Howie Anderson]

I thought Warren went after wall street> breaking this country > when Barney boy gave out the 3 yr no interest loans, Freddy backed.

Brown PO "We The People" but in MA the give it to me state, He's pretty good.

[John F. Brotchie]

   Every time I get dinged $5.00 by BOA, I'm going to be reminded of Scott's vote for Dodd-Frank & Durkin's amendment.  Thanks Scott!

 

   On another matter, I must say that I have been really disappointed by Scott's office staff and their lack of response to constituent requests for info.  On two different occassions I wrote (once to the Boston & once to the DC offices) asking for an answer about a fairly simple question about where a federal copyright infringement case may be ajudicated if I were the defendant  .. in Boston or in the State of Washington where the complaint originated.

 

   In both cases, I got a canned "Thank You for Your Donation" letter but NO reply to my request for help.  A simple "Sorry, we can't advise on such matters" would have been preferable to the "keep the money coming" pitch of those machiune-generated Thank You letters.

 

Not that the staff would notice, but my small (yet never the less regular) donations have stopped flowing to the campaign coffers.

 

   And, until I see evidence of timely and sincere responsiveness from Scott's office toward constituent concerns, I'll continue acting like there are fish hooks are in my pockets!

 

John Brotchie

(. . . One of Scott's pavement-pounding sign carriers)

[Kevin Thibault]

1) Move the store (or eliminate the frigging thing) from the official Scott Brown for U.S. Senator web site to here the brown Brigade site...

Senator your not a celebrity pedaling scott brown memorabilia...

Your a United States Senator!!!!

(start acting like one!!!) and let your online content reflect that....

2) Regularly update that web site over the next year with whats going on in the Senate (and the House) The Super committee progress etc (Help make it transparent for us and keep us informed), Washington the white house ect, upcoming legislation what just passed what didn't who voted who didn't which way etc and how you feel and think about it all. You got time to write a dam book sir then you have time to keep "we the people" informed...

3) take a good look at Newt Gingrich's web site and his 21st. century contract with America and follow his pattern and lead.

You want my vote start by re-earning my support and respect 

[Robert L. Macchia]

We all know that the republicans have become the "peoples party."  Not like the democrats of yesteryear when I was a young man.  I was a former democrat and recording secretary of our local Democratic Club in Queens, NY.  After Lyndon Johnson took office my mind started to wonder how good was the democratic party.  I crossed party lines and when I saw that the republicans did a much better job and seriously supported their constituents, I re-registered as a republican.  Sen. Brown is one of the main reasons we will get our country back on track and with a conservative/republican president next year the country will go back to what our forefathers set forth.  God Bless America!