In Massachusetts, gloomy Democrats are using the Creigh Deeds comparison. In November, Democrats eager to distance Obama from the losing campaign accused Creigh Deeds of Virginia of running such a bad gubernatorial campaign that it could only have been a reflection on him, not a referendum on Obama:
With the election still four days away, Democrats are still hoping that “something could happen” to change the dynamics of the race. But until that thing happens, the situation as it exists today explains Barack Obama’s decision not to travel to Massachusetts to campaign for Coakley. “If the White House thinks she can win, Obama will be there,” the Democrat says. “If they don’t think she can win, he won’t be there.” For national Democrats, the task is now to insulate Obama against any suggestion that a Coakley defeat would be a judgment on the president’s agenda and performance in office.
It’s still Massachusetts, but could a shot heard ’round the political world forthcoming?
Looking at the numbers in today’s Suffolk poll, noted by the Boss, Coakley may have something to fear from Democrats who don’t like health-care reform, as the president’s overhaul is not going over, even there:
The poll finds 99 percent of voters are decided, and the break-down of the sample was 39 percent Democrat, 15 percent Republican and 45 percent unenrolled. Brown is winning men, and only trailing Coakley with women by five percent. That’s the same proportion of women voters whom Republican Chris Christie won over in his blue-state gubernatorial win in New Jersey last year.
