The Massachusetts' 60th

The Boston Globe is running an article entitled, "Rivals Pull Out All the Stops," about tomorrow's Massachusetts' Senate election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat. The article begins, "President Obama, putting his political capital on the line, swept into town yesterday to bolster Martha Coakley’s campaign in the final days of an extraordinarily and unexpectedly tight US Senate race, saying that a Democratic victory tomorrow is vital to moving his agenda forward."

Massachusetts has not elected a Republican senator since 1972 and Democratic candidate Martha Coakley was an early favorite. However, Republican candidate Scott Brown has made the race too close to call.

Questions to Consider:

1. If you were voting in Massachusetts would you be tempted to base your vote on the issue of the health care legislation? Why or why not?

2. President Obama's position can be significantly weakened if Mr. Brown wins the election? (Why?). Do you think that his position can be strengthened if Ms. Coakley wins the election? Why or why not?

3. People say that the President of the United States of America is the most powerful person in the world. But yesterday he was appealing to common people, voters, so that Ms. Coakley could help him implement his agenda. Can the President be the most powerful person in the world if he depends on common people to implement his agenda? Why or why not?

4. What two questions would you ask the Senate candidates about their positions if you had the opportunity to speak to them, face to face? Why these two questions?

Questions for Younger Children and Everybody Else:

1. Do you think that it is important for people to vote in elections? Why or why not?

2. Do you you think that you might enjoy giving speeches in front of a lot of people? Why or why not?

3. Why do you think that somebody would interrupt somebody else's speech by shouting out?