RE: Massachusetts

Tbogg explains it all...

Scott Brown was born a poor black child. But without the Negro dialect. Which is why he is competitive.

Apparently competitive, at any rate, but appearances can deceive. In my experience, when the story is "Candidate X appears suprisingly close, an upset may be at hand," the only thing usually in Candidate X's hand when the votes are counted is his or her hat.

This is exactly the kind of election that is played out at the very end when the respective party machines tune up their GOTV machines. Big endorsements are brought out, ads are run, calls are made and doorbells are rung and underdogs get plowed under. Not always, but often enough that it should be conventional wisdom.

I'm guessing Coakley by 8-10 points when it's all done. I'm sure that someone somewhere will call that a moral victory for Brown and bad news for Obama.