I’m sure everyone can come up with their preferred previous race that is a metaphor for what’s going on in Massachusetts, but I like this one from Campaign Spot reader Mike:

In 1991 I worked on Dick Thornburgh’s Senate race in PA vs. Harris Wofford. The MA race seems weirdly similar:
Thornburgh was a liberal Republican, expected to be coronated as senator to fill the special election for John Heinz’ seat. Harris Wofford was someone no one had ever heard of (but was being managed by Carville, who no one had heard of either).
As the race became surprisingly close at the end, we had convinced ourselves that, “Well, now that it’s a close race, all the Republicans will recognize they need to get out and vote.”
Didn’t happen. They didn’t show.
I still think a Brown win would be s big surprise, but when I hear people say that his strong showing will motivate Dem’s to get out and vote, I really wonder….

One wrinkle that comes to mind is the advent of technology, and the way that information spreads to more voters much more quickly than it did 20 years ago. In other words, through the Internet, e-mail, and text messaging, Coakley and the DNC and their allied groups can tell traditional Democratic voters, “Hey, wake up, we’re in danger of losing this race.”

But I think the mood in the state probably will be a bigger factor than any overconfidence among high-ranking Democrats. Unemployment in Massachusetts is 8.8 percent, was up at 9.3 percent in September, and has been around 8 percent all year long, after being below 6 percent since 2004. About six in ten disapprove of the job Deval Patrick is doing. The sales tax just got hiked and a new alcohol tax kicked in. No wonder the locals are cranky, and not that enthused by anyone associated with the current government . . .