THIS Is the Most Important Senate Race in the Country?

Photo Illustration by Josue Evilla

It was billed as the most significant political contest of the year not involving the current president of the United States. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren were going to set a new standard for reasoned, respectful, issues-driven campaigning. So pure were their intentions, they even agreed to a ban on all negative advertising from outside groups, the better to keep the emphasis on policy rather than personal attacks.

That’s the race Massachusetts was promised, anyway. The country may still be slogging through recession, and we may remain at war in Afghanistan, and the current crop of lawmakers in Washington just may be the worst in living memory, but the most pressing issues in this campaign so far have been whether Warren is truly part Native American, and why Brown keeps talking about his private audiences with royalty.

So what happened? How did the race that was going to raise the bar instead wind up disappointing in almost every way? In an effort to find out, we sent reporters inside both campaigns to present in-depth profiles of both candidates.

Stumped

Elizabeth Warren was supposed to be the Great Liberal Hope, the one Democrat tough enough to evict Scott Brown from Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. Then she started campaigning.

By Janelle Nanos

Way More Mr. Nice Guy

Scott Brown rode his pickup, barn  coat, and  genuine  likability  all  the  way  to the  U.S. Senate  in  2010. Two  years  later  the  charm  offensive  is  back and  bigger  than  ever. But  can  Brown  convince  Massachusetts voters to return  him  to Washington  just  because  he’s  a  good man?

By Bill Beuttler