A recent survey by Suffolk University and 7News found that Brown remains virtually untouchable in match-ups against Democratic challengers, with the exception of former Congressman Joe Kennedy.
15 months ago Scott Brown came from obscurity to capture the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.BOSTON – Just 15 months ago Scott Brown came from obscurity to capture the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts, and since leaving for Washington the junior Senator has maintained his popularity, seemingly against all odds.
A recent survey by Suffolk University and 7News found that Brown remains virtually untouchable in match-ups against Democratic challengers – with the exception of former Congressman Joe Kennedy.
“Our finding that Scott Brown led Martha Coakley just four days before January’s special election of last year was a real shock for most Bay Staters,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “Again Brown is beating expectations, his popularity hasn't diminished as most expected and at this point in time he’s going to be tough to beat.”
More than half (55 percent) of Bay State voters said that Brown deserves to be reelected and 56 percent said they agreed that Brown has kept his promise to be an independent voice in the U.S. Senate.
In ballot tests Brown led by at least 15 points in all match ups against potential Democratic challengers, with the exception of Joe Kennedy, who trailed by only 5 points with Brown at 45 percent and Kennedy at 40 percent.
The survey found that Brown remains virtually untouchable in match-ups against Democratic challengers with the exception of former Congressman Joe Kennedy.“What’s significant about Joe Kennedy here isn't just his popularity, but the dip in Scott Brown’s number, too,” Paleologos said. “Historically, when an incumbent falls below the 50 percent mark that means he or she is vulnerable – and with Kennedy’s matching favorability rating (Brown 58 percent, Kennedy 58 percent) it’s clear the unwilling front runner would be a strong potential challenger.”
The next highest performing candidate was Deval Patrick, trailing Brown by 15 points.
Brown led every Democratic candidate in the poll as follows:
Brown 52% – 9% versus Newton Mayor Setti Warren
Brown 51% – 23% versus Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray
Brown 53% – 26% versus Congressman Ed Markey
Brown 52% – 26% versus Congressman Mike Capuano
Brown 52% – 30% versus Vicki Kennedy
Brown 52% – 37% versus Governor Deval Patrick
Brown 45% – 40% versus former Congressman Joe Kennedy
On Books by Scott Brown and Deval Patrick
Despite his political popularity, voters were not all that interested in Scott Brown’s book or life story.
When voters were asked if they bought Brown’s recently released book “Against All Odds. My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances,” just 3 percent had while 97 percent had not. And, when voters were asked how interested they were in Scott Brown’s life story 67 percent said they were not very or not at all interested.
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.Deval Patrick’s upcoming book release and life story is not of much interest to most voters either. Some 65 percent of registered voters said that they were not very/not at all interested in Patrick’s life story.
“Voters are saying that they want their politicians to do the job they were elected to do here in Massachusetts and aren't interested in their books or life stories,” Paleologos said.
National Politics
President Barack Obama’s handling of the situation in Libya scored a 51 percent approval and 32 percent disapproval.
Obama is still personally popular in Massachusetts, recording a 57 percent favorable and 35 percent unfavorable rating which is up 6 points since late October. However, Hillary Clinton lit up the favorability list of politicians with a 74 percent favorable rating and just a 19 percent unfavorable rating.
This trend continues from national swing state polls taken by Suffolk University in 2010, where she led President Obama in favorability by at least 10 points in Florida, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Suffolk University Political Research Center, which conducted the poll from April 3 - 5, has also made available its lengthy "cross tabs" which delve even little deeper into the data.