As “Feeble Field” Of Massachusetts Senate Candidates Continues To Underwhelm
All the way back on May 26th, Democrat Party leaders in Washington threw their current field of Senate candidates under the bus and boldly declared that they expected their party to yield “a great candidate” to challenge Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown “in a few weeks.”
While that statement was met with anger and criticism by Massachusetts Democrats opposed to those in Washington picking their candidates, that anger seems to have changed.
Fifty days later and with his current crop of candidates failing to gain momentum in their respective Senate bids, Massachusetts Democrat Chairman John Walsh today reversed course and welcomed Elizabeth Warren – the favored choice of the Washington D.C. establishment – into the Massachusetts Democrat primary mix.
In today’s Boston Globe, Walsh told Joan Vennochi that he “would love it if she were interested in joining the race” and added that he “would talk to her and encourage her in a heartbeat.”
Notably, however, Walsh was among those who not long ago claimed that the Democrats already had “very qualified” candidates in the race, and that it was “wrong” for DC party insiders to interfere in a Massachusetts primary.
Last weekend, Roll Call reported that Warren has recently been courted by a slew of DC insiders attempting to entice her into the Senate race, including, “Warren has met in person or spoke on the phone with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, David Axelrod, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Massachusetts Democratic Reps. Barney Frank, Stephen Lynch and John Tierney.”
“Given the lackluster field of candidates already in the race, it’s no surprise that John Walsh no longer thinks he has ‘very qualified’ candidates and is turning to the hand-picked candidate of his party bosses in Washington – and not Bay State voters,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Brian Walsh said today
In today’s Boston Herald, Joe Battenfeld took a look at the “feeble field of Brown challengers,” concluding that, “Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren is still available, and she is the dream candidate for Washington insiders and out-of-touch liberals. If BlueMassGroup took an online poll, she would definitely win. Not a good sign for her prospects against Brown.”
Background Information:
- Today, John Walsh Welcomed Elizabeth Warren Into The U.S. Senate Race. “‘Elizabeth Warren is still in the running for the consumer protection job. I hope she gets that job,’’ said Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman John Walsh. But if it doesn’t come through, ‘I would love it if she were interested in joining the race. I would talk to her and encourage her in a heartbeat,’ said Walsh, officially embracing the buzz that began with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who also chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.” (Joan Vennochi, “Consolation Prize: The Senate,” Boston Globe, 7/14/11)
- In May, Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh Said The State Party Was “Certainly Not” Involved In Trying To Convince Elizabeth Warren To Run. “‘I have not talked to her. I really don’t know her other than seeing her on TV. I think she’s an intriguing person, but I’m not aware of any efforts to convince her to run, certainly not from the Massachusetts Democratic Party,’ state party chairman John Walsh told the News Service. … ‘I know Setti Warren and Warren Tolman. Those are the Warrens I’ve heard of and are thinking or running,’ Walsh said.” (“Walsh Says Bay State Dems Are Not Recruiting Elizabeth Warren,” State House News Service, 5/24/11)
- Walsh Said There Were Four “Very Qualified” Candidates In The Field Already. “Asked whether the desire to pull a higher profile persona like Warren into the race signaled a dissatisfaction among party activists with the current field, Walsh he didn’t think that was the case. ‘I don’t think so. I think what it means is people don’t really know the current field. We have four very qualified candidates people don’t know yet. That’s the state of the race now,’ said Walsh, who noted that Massachusetts voters have shown an open minds in the past to unknown candidates, including Gov. Deval Patrick in 2006 and Brown in 2010.” (“Walsh Says Bay State Dems Are Not Recruiting Elizabeth Warren,” State House News Service, 5/24/11)
- In April, Walsh Told A Massachusetts Blog That Party Leaders Weighing In On A Primary “Seems Wrong,” And He Didn’t Think It Was A Successful Strategy – As “Many Folks On The National Scene” Think It Is. WALSH: “I do, I want a candidate that can win. I guess, I’m probably not as certain as many folks on the national scene, or amongst the sophisticated class of Massachusetts political analysis that believes I can predict who that is. You can rest assured that I hear from people regularly who are looking for the obvious winner. And somehow, many of them take it to the next step that somehow somebody, maybe including me, should determine who that obvious winner is, and using a very interesting term – clear the field. You know, let’s get this over with, and decide, and all rally behind that person. While I have a lot of respect for people who are smart, and suggest that’s a strategy – and I know it’s a strategy that other people have used in times past. I have to admit that it seems wrong to me. I mean, not only is it a wrong thing to do, but I don’t think it’s a successful strategy.” (Blue Mass Group Website, “John Walsh Eager For Next Battles,” www.bluemassgroup.com, Accessed 7/14/11)
