SCOTT BROWN V MARTHA COAKLEY = RICHARD NIXON V HELEN GAHAGEN DOUGLAS

I'm NOT comparing the men or their values, just the moment in their political lives and their relationship to their times.

The Brown v Coakley race is HUGE. A game-changer.

And Brown's victory over Coakley makes him a potentially HUGE figure for the next phase of USA politics - as Nixon became after his SUCCESSFUL contest against Helen Gahagen Douglas.

NIXON/WIKI:

In the 1950 mid-term elections, Nixon ran against Democratic Representative Helen Gahagan Douglas for a seat in the U.S. Senate, representing California.^[29] The campaign is best remembered as one of the most contentious of the times. Nixon felt the former actress was a left-wing sympathizer, labeling her "pink right down to her underwear."^[29] Conversely, Douglas referred to Nixon as "Tricky Dick."^[29] In the November election, Nixon defeated Douglas.

In the Senate, Nixon took a prominent position in opposing the spread of global communism, traveling frequently and speaking out against "the threat."^[29] He also criticized what he perceived to be President Harry S. Truman's mishandling of the Korean War.^[29] He supported statehood for Alaska and Hawaii, voted in favor of civil rights for minorities, and supported federal disaster relief for India and Yugoslavia.^[30]

NIXON WENT ON TO BE VEEP AND POTUS.

[ASIDE: I KNOW IT'S FASHIONABLE TO HATE NIXON AND TREAT HIS PRESIDENCY AS A FAILURE, BUT THAT JUST ISN'T FAIR.

AS POTUS HE ENDED THE DRAFT, ENDED THE VIETNAM WAR, INVENTED DETENTE - AND AIDED THE SOVIET DISSIDENTS, SIGNED THE CLEAN AIR CLEAN WATER ACT, TOOK US OFF THE GOLD STANDARD, OPENED CHINA, AND SAVED ISRAEL - IN JUST 5 YEARS.

NOT BAD.]