Ron Newman has the numbers: Voters who had questions 5 and 6 on their ballots rejected non-binding referenda on taking city investments out of companies that do business with Israel and demanding Israel let Palestinians return to their ancestral homes.
Whiteboy gets the scoop:
... Patrick: "Hello?"
Mihos: "Is your refrigerator running?"
Patrick: "Yes, my refrigerator is running."
Mihos: "Well, I'M NOT anymore!" ...
Well, that didn't take long: TV stations declare Patrick victory at 8:01.
Blue Mass. Group at the Patrick party at the Hynes: The mood in the Hynes Convention Center can only be described in one word: jubilation.
It's one thing to put a sign in your yard. Quite another to fill up an entire rotary with campaign signs.
Karl always feels intimidated when he goes to his North End polling place:
Adam Rosi-Kessel reports on problems with the optical-scan ballots at his polling place in Roslindale:
When I voted this morning, however, the machines were not feeding the ballots. Instead, the poll workers were piling the ballots up on top of the machine, apparently to be fed into the machine when they figured out how to get it to work. When I left, they seemed to have gotten to the point of triple-checking whether the machine was plugged in.
Spatch fortifies himself with a Xanax, then runs the gauntlet of people trying to force flyers into his hands:
... "What am I supposed to do with this flyer?" I asked the man.
"Uh, read it?" he replied.
"Now see, this is where it gets tricky," I said. "Cause if I'm already on the side you support, this flyer is useless and you're preaching to the choir. But if I'm not already on your side, I don't see how this would help much to change my mind."
"Just take it, willya?" the guy said, growing exasperated. "Makes me look good." ...
Somebody sure picked a fine day to rip up the street in front of one polling place.
Ed Prisby reports an only-in-Massachusetts polling story that hinges on how "Lodge" and "large" basically sound the same here:
Guy: "Ummm...what if you live on a small street?"
Volunteer: "What?"
Guy: "You said all streets up to lahdge. My street is smallah."
Volunteer: "Yeah, everyone up to laaadge ova heyah. What's the name of your street?"
Guy: "It starts with 'M'...but...it's small." ...
Poll worker at the Putterham Library in Brookline displays the two essential tools of election-day campaigning: A sign and a large regulah.
Kerry Healey arrives to vote in Beverly.
Was that brandy Ian tasted in the cream puff he bought from one of the little old ladies selling baked goods at his polling place?
Likely new Attorney General Martha Coakley addresses the Harry Truman pre-election rally in West Roxbury. Why post her photo? Why not? You know what all the candidates for governor look like already, no?
West Roxbury revived its old-fashioned night-before-the-election rally tonight - this was the first Truman rally in several years. Politicians of all stripes mounted the stairs to the platform for their five minutes of time in front of a gigantic flag. They asked for votes. They told political jokes you've heard a million times. The Boston Latin band played. Even the Prince of Darkness managed to leave his undisclosed location long enough to explain how only he stands between us and personal financial ruin (and yes, that really is a photo of him at the rally).
In all, it was cool to see this sort of retail politics in action - instead of just watching everything on TV, even if the closest we got to torchlights were the TV spotlights. The rally had a nice crowded feel, although it was held in a smallish parking lot, so it's not like the whole neighborhood came out.
We left before Kerry Healey because it was getting late and we hadn't had dinner, but at least we got to see the Zombies for Healey dragging themselves up Centre Street. OK, OK, that's not fair, just because this swarm of people carrrying Healey signs slowly marched up the street without saying a single word doesn't mean they were zombies. Besides, they didn't make a single move toward brave little Greta, valiantly trying to stave them off single-handedly by waving a Patrick sign in their faces.
Watch the Healey People coming right at us (2M QuickTime file).
As we left the Real Deal, there was rally organizer Steve Slyne, holding court as he always did, as if he hadn't retired and sold off his deli last year.
The Globe's David Dahl also attended and he needs to learn to dress warmer (really, David, it wasn't that cold).
When it comes to gigantic US flags, West Roxbury doesn't mess around:
Town Online has a slide show on the rally.
Hedgehog says that honor goes to Dara Pourghasemi's Waltham state-rep site. She writes:
A brain damaged monkey could have cobbled together a better campaign website ...
John Daley pokes holes in various arguments against letting supermarkets sell wine:
... This is about business, trade and reasonable regulation, not a referendum on the dangers of drinking. It it were, the liquor stores would be arguing against their own existence.
We're not likely to get zillions of annoying robo-calls from Republicans pretending to be Democrats in the hopes we'll get so annoyed with the Democratic candidates we'll vote Republican.
Adam Reilly posts an interview with the Green candidate for secretary of state. No time limits set by the Prince of Darkness (but also no questions about the Mass. Greens' vehement anti-Israel platform, either).
Discussions and links for questions 1, 2 and 3 on tomorrow's ballots:
Question 1 (wine whining)
Question 2 (Fusion explosion on the ballot)
Question 3 (Unionization for childcare providers).
Everybody's favorite Democrat In Name Only congressman finally managed to get his campaign Web site up, a full three days before the election:
Now I will confess that while I am a friend of Al Gore, I did not help him invent the internet, so a little patience with me from time to time may be required. We are still working on pieces of the site and will add additional information as it develops.
Dear Rep. Lynch:
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