Lowell Is a Battlefield
Via Marie Sweeney on facebook, a fascinating nod to the Mill City by the Boston Globe’s Glen Johnson. Calling it “ground zero” in the Senate race, Johnson named the dueling endorsements of both Elizabeth Warren (Mayor Murphy, Arthur Ramalho) and Brown (Rita Mercier) and the failed endorsement of Micky Ward, who in a day rescinded his support of Brown after he found out his record on unions and gay rights.
I was cracking up at Johnson’s characterization of Mercier: “a pugnacious and ticket-topping politician.” Pugnacious: “inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.” Indeed!
And,
It is as if the US Senate race will be decided by who is more popular at the Owl Diner, or who can tell the best story about Tarsy Poulios’s time on the City Council.
Awesome. All politics are local.
And it is true that while generally, Lowell has gone blue in past races (presidential and gubernatorial) it flipped during the special election to replace Ted Kennedy. Though I would argue the weather and timing and lack of a Democratic campaign had a lot to do with that.
(NECN also had a segment about Lowell and the Senate race on Sept 14th, though they did not, surprisingly, include any interviews with Mayor Murphy).
So if you are sitting there thinking, what can I do for Elizabeth Warren, really, well…show up for a phone bank or canvass. I went yesterday morning, where Mayor Murphy stopped by to kick off the day’s canvassing. The campaign is us - you and me. Yesterday I walked the streets in Ward 1 combing for more Warren voters. I talked to the campaign staff at HQ and they are enthusiastic and optimistic, but without volunteers they can’t do their job. Yes there’s lots of people showing up…so why aren’t YOU?
Tell you what. There’s about six weeks left to the campaign. Commit to spending a few hours some weeknight or weekend between now and then. It’s fun and you’ll meet new people, and we can beat Scott Brown by double digits in Lowell if we get enough voter IDs!
The Democratic coordinated campaign HQ is at 73 E. Merrimack St. Lowell, and the canvassing schedule on weekends generally goes: first wave at 10am, and another at 2pm. Someone is at the office from 9am to 9pm daily, though, so you can just show up and let them put you to work! There’s also phone banking, data entry, and other jobs to do, so if you can’t knock doors for any reason, don’t let that stop you. Crucially, if you can take Election Day off to help, or help the weekend or even the week before, that’s very important.
Looking forward to running into more LiL’ers at the Dem HQ! 
Update: Just got word the official Lowell office email is lowelloffice@elizabethwarren.com. Contact them if you want to schedule your time at HQ!
Update II: Even better, I am told, is to go here, and sign up for a specific shift you want to do as they are listed on the official website. You will be able to hook into the campaign directly. If you are new to volunteering, they’ll contact you. I’ve already put in the search terms for you so you should see only Lowell events at that zip.
September 23rd, 2012 at 10:49 am
Of the over 25,000 Lowellians that will go vote on Nov. 6th. how many even know who Tarsy Poulios is? 7,000? Who spoon fed the Globe reporter his frame?
September 23rd, 2012 at 10:51 am
Good point!! It certainly can’t be something he came up with…it’s too localized and specific. LOL
I’m guessing it might be the people quoted in the article.
September 23rd, 2012 at 11:20 am
Glenn probably covered Tarsy when he worked at the Sun.
September 23rd, 2012 at 11:22 am
Glen Johnson is a former Lowell Sun City Hall reporter . . . hence the Tarsy reference.
September 23rd, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Ahh that explains it. It’s a little dated.
September 23rd, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Glen is also the former AP reporter who went at it with Romney during a press conference in 2008; see the youtube clip of Glen calling Romney out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yx4gjcab4U
September 23rd, 2012 at 2:44 pm
So, the guy is legit. Yet, he sees Lowell politics through the prism of the Owl Diner and the SAC Club? In a presidential election cycle?
Again: Of the over 25,000 Lowellians that will go vote on Nov. 6th, how many even know who Tarsy Poulios is? 7,000?
“Old Lowell” gets washed out in these elections. The old time “ward bosses” don’t plant campaign signs on your front lawn, anymore. That’s more common in municipal elections, less so for these big elections.
September 23rd, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Hey Jack
Took a putt on the Harley all though Ward 1 today and the same old solders were displaying there favorite candidates. Don’t count as you say old Lowell out my friend.
September 23rd, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Paul,there are a bunch of Martin Burke signs and none for Dave Nangle. Does that mean Nangle is finished? Old Lowell, huh?
September 23rd, 2012 at 7:59 pm
LOL…Signs don’t vote Jack.
September 23rd, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Last time I was at the polls, there was this campaign sign marking off a ballot. It was the damnedest thing…
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all night. Er. Well maybe tomorrow. Now it’s late and I’m going to bed!
September 29th, 2012 at 4:45 am
Define “Old Lowell”. Do you mean those knighted the “chosen ones” by Jim Cook with his plastic sword and Burger King crown?
September 29th, 2012 at 8:13 am
Hey, now! Deluca with the jab/upper cut combo. There’s a blogger in that new media guru, just itching to get out.