A Fighting Chance

6 | The Battle for the Senate

dubbed one of “Wall Street’s Favorite Congressmen”: See Brian Wingfield, “Wall Street’s Favorite Congressmen,” Forbes, June 1, 2010. According to the Boston Globe, Brown “used the leverage of his swing vote to win key concessions” for the financial industry. See Donovan Slack, “Donations Poured In as Brown’s Role Grew: With Vote Near, Financial Sector Delivered $140K,” Boston Globe, December 12, 2010. See also Robin Bravender, “Wall Street Filling Scott Brown’s Coffers,” Politico, October 1, 2012. For more about political contributions, see also Center for Responsive Politics—the nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics. http://www.opensecrets.org/.

In mid-August, I started meeting with small groups: On the very first day I started meeting with people, Joyce Linehan invited me to her house in Dorchester. Joyce had a crowd, with people jammed in the living room, sitting on the floor, and spilling into the dining room and entry hall. The questions showed a deep level of engagement, and they made me think that running for the Senate in Massachusetts could be fun. But more important, they taught me early on that it was possible to campaign by talking about serious issues and that strong allies—people like Joyce and many of those in the room that night—would build the kind of grassroots campaign that we would need if we were going to unseat a popular incumbent. Joyce was amazing, and she was there every step of the way throughout the campaign. See, e.g., Paul McMorrow, “The New Campaign,” CommonWealth, July 16, 2013.

That first week, we also headed out to Pittsfield, hosted by Sherwood Guernsey and Lee Harrison, with a number of the Berkshire Brigades in attendance. The plan had been to speak in the early evening from the front porch of a great old home that was now a law office, but just as I stepped out of the car, the sky started getting very dark. We were just around the corner from the house, which we hadn’t seen yet, so I asked Nick Black, “Is this the right place?” And just as I finished, a bolt of lightning hit somewhere nearby with a thunderous crack, lighting up the sky and nearly giving me a heart attack. I figured it was a sign—but I wasn’t sure exactly how to interpret it. But the Brigades gave it their own interpretation: as I rounded the corner, I saw the front of the house was plastered with a huge “Run Elizabeth Run” sign, and several people had made their own political buttons. They cheered when they saw me, and when it started pouring rain so that we couldn’t stay outside any longer, they crowded into the house and yelled, “Keep going!” And when the lights went out, they yelled it again: “Keep going!” And when the fire alarms were triggered, they yelled it again: “Keep going! We’re with you all the way!” The Brigades don’t give up. Andy McKeever, “Berkshire Democrats Want Warren to Run, Run, Run,” iBerkshires.com, August 19, 2011.

a hundred had shown up: Hank and M J Powell were the generous hosts who permitted their home (and porch and lawn) to be overrun by Massachusetts voters who wanted a look at this first-time candidate. When I called later to thank them, M J said it had been “fun,” which, under the circumstances, I took to be a sign of how committed she and Hank were to the whole grassroots we-build-it-together effort.

“sheer political brilliance”: For the MoveOn.org quote, see http://front.moveon.org/the-elizabeth-warren-quote-every-american-needs-to-see/#.UdyC62AYR4E. The Street said, “She was able to articulate—in a few words—what the Democratic Party has been unable to communicate for years” and concluded, “Whether or not you agree with Warren, she is worth listening to.” John DeFeo, “Why You Should Listen to Warren, not Buffet,” The Street, September 22, 2011. Chris Weigant reports: “This is sheer political brilliance. Democrats are notorious for not being able to do what Warren just proved she’s fully capable of: Explaining an issue in plain language that resonates with the average citizen. Telling a story. Crafting a narrative. I especially like the bit about ‘marauding bands,’ since it just proves how silly the entire concept of ‘class warfare’ truly is, in this day and age.” Chris Weigant, “Elizabeth Warren’s Campaign Takes Off,” Business Insider, September 21, 2011.