For those unaware, tomorrow, Massachusetts will hold a special election to determine who will fill the dead Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, Democrat Martha Coakley or Republican Scott Brown.

Massachusetts has long been a one party state. Every so often we elect a Republican governor to keep our tax-happy, spend-happy state legislature in check, but other than that, we are comprised of mindless fifth generation blue collar Democrats are Democrats because their parents and teachers told them to be.

But current polls are too close to call. Friday, a few polls showed Scott Brown pulling ahead, which led to Obama making a visit to the state yesterday to campaign for Coakley. If Brown wins this, he will be the 41st Republican in the Senate, and Obama will no longer be able to pass his healthcare reform. And Coakley attack ads proclaiming this fact have only seemed to HELP Brown. Even if Brown doesn't win this election, it had been a huge blow to the Massachusetts Democratic Party. If Brown does win, even after a visit from a sitting president (and another from Clinton) on behalf of Coakley, it will be disastrous for his administration. If he can't turn the tides in a crucial election in a Democratic stronghold, he will be seen as ineffective. It will energize Republicans and could lead to more defeats in the 2010 midterm elections in November. The whole situation is fascinating. As a Massachusetts Republican, I never believed we could ever win a Senate seat. The fact that it might happen is mindboggling, even to me.

Yes, it could. If he is able to maintain a decent approval rating, he could campaign on behalf of Republican candidates for state legislature and bolster the Republican presence in the state legislature. It could also help push another Republican into the governor's office. This could lead to less state spending and bring our sales tax back down to 5% from 6.25%.

It would also effectively crush Obama's healthcare agenda. The bill that could end up passing may not be universal, socialized healthcare, but it's even worse. It's a comprise-laden pork-filled piece of shit that is going to cost taxpayers billions of dollars and do almost nothing. The bill needs to be killed, and a 41st no vote would guarantee its final destruction. The Senate race is largely seen as a referendum on Obama's agenda, and a loss for Coakley would be seen a rejection of Obama's agenda in what is considered a liberal stronghold. The fact that Obama personally campaigned for Coakley compounds this issue.

Now, on the other hand, Coakley has a terrible campaign. She has run a barrage of attack ads that backfired. I think society has finally reached the point where we're not fucking stupid enough to fall for attack ads. So a Coakley will largely be Coakley's fault. But the desperation campaign she's running now could hurt the Democrats even more if her campaign proves unsalvageable. She has trotted out Ted Kennedy's widow, Bill Clinton, and Obama, all of whom have basically said: "If you like what Obama's doing, you HAVE to vote for Coakley." But it doesn't seem to be paying off. And if that pitch doesn't pay off, it will be a huge embarassment for the Democrats. If Massachusetts fills the former Senate seat of one of the most vocal proponents of socialized healthcare with a man who has vowed to undermine it, it will force Democratic leadership to serious rethink their goals and strategies.

Incorrect.

But her attacks ads were awful. And she should have known better.

Republican candidate Kerry Healey, who had been Lt. Governor under the departing Mitt Romney, lost the last gubernatorial election because she ran ridiculous attacks against Deval Patrick. Her campaign was so bad, even I didn't vote for her. I think I voted for the Green Party.

Coakley conceded. Brown is the official winner. More later.