Coakley's approval rating against Baker's are not really good news. Every other D candidate on the ballot is winning in landslides, heck even Obama is a clear net positive. What has Coakley done (or not done) to the good people of MA for them to distrust her like this ?
To be fair, Baker is a better candidate than anyone else the GOP is running in Massachusetts (and yes, I'm including Tisei), so it's probably a good deal that. But yeah, Coakley just inspires a lot of bad memories.
Baker's favorables are 45-27 in this poll, Coakley's are only 46-42, I'm sure that explains a good deal of why this is so close. The Republican has to be way more popular than the Democrat to win at all, and Charlie gets pretty close to that.
Is Suffolk any good?
Just answered that for myself - They're decent, gets a B from Nate Silver, I'll believe it.