It seems as if Massachusetts Republicans have found a promising challenger to square off against America’s favorite:
There’s no question that Ogonowski would face an extraordinary challenge in a state as blue as Massachusetts — especially in an election year. In addition to the partisan edge, Ogonowski also has far less cash on hand than Kerry: $87,000 to $9.5 million at the end of the year. But unlike Kerry, Ogonowski just completed a run for Congress; he’s not supposed to have any money. And John Kerry’s national prominence almost guarantees that a legitimate Republican opponent would be able to count on raising millions nationwide. Further, polls consistently show that Massachusetts voters are underwhelmed by Kerry; a Suffolk University poll last year showed 56 percent think it’s time Kerry moved on. That could create an opening for the right Republican. Kerry is also being challenged in the Democratic primary by a private attorney named Ed O’Reilly. If you can believe it, O’Reilly is attacking Kerry from the Left; painting him as too conservative on Iraq, gay marriage, health care, impeachment and other issues. If the Democratic primary presents anything more than token opposition, it could weaken Kerry for the general election. Can Kerry be defeated? It’s a tall order. But stranger things have happened.
