Nothing Special about the U.S. Senate Special Election in Massachusetts

In a week, we will be having another special election for U.S. Senate here in Massachusetts. This one is to replace John Kerry, who was appointed Secretary of State. Or to be more precise, to replace Mo Cowan, who was appointed as his interim replacement. If your eyes haven't glazed over yet, they soon will. Did I mention that the last televised was tonight? I watched and it was hardly worth mentioning.

Longtime Democratic Congressman Ed Markey is the favorite, if you can call someone the favorite who is generating so little interest. President Obama was in town last week to campaign for him, I think, or at least that is the rumor filtering back to those of us who didn't notice. The challenger is Republican businessman Gabriel Gomez, a private equity investor and former U.S. Navy Aviator and Navy SEAL.

Just how little interest this election has generated can be seen by comparing social media followers for Markey and Gomez, with the candidates in the 2012 U.S. Senate race, Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown:

Candidate	Facebook	Twitter
Ed Markey	38,435	4,784
Gabriel Gomez	14,454	7,973
Elizabeth Warren	417,562	82,904
Scott Brown	363,235	61,407

Massachusetts has grown used to high interest U.S. Senate contests, Brown v. Coakley in 2010, Warren v. Brown in 2012. Perhaps grown tired is the better phrasing.

If you are really bored there will be a third choice on the ballot, Richard Heos running under the banner of the Twelve Visions Party. Here is his most recent tweet:

BETTER FEELING THAN SEX: A VOTE FOR THE TVP ON JUN25th VOTE HEOS...HE`S ALL FOR HIMSELF....

— Richard Heos (@RAHEOS) June 18, 2013

That's right, "He's all for himself." The Twelve Visions Party has this mission statement:

"The TVP has 1 Purpose: to bring about an initiatory-force-free, Protection-Only, service-based Government via the Prime Law Amendment and Protection Only Budget, Forever Ending the age old power-based government and its virulent force-backed rule of man, Forever Depoliticizing America and eventually the Entire World."

Here are the twelve visions:

1. Become the Person You Were Meant to Be.
2. Live the Life You Were Meant to Live.
3. Feel Extraordinary Every Day
4. Slow Down Aging Permanently.
5. Land the Job of Your Dreams.
6. Build the Business of Your Passions.
7. Experience the Love Of Your Life.
8. Have the Body You Always Envied.
9. Become a Genius of Society.
10. Have Everything You Ever Wanted.
11. Ride a Prosperity Wave to Riches.
12. Enjoy Nearly Perfect Health.

Be careful clicking those links as some on the internet allege Twelve Visions is a cult, ponzi scheme, or self-improvement racket - just what we need already have in Washington, DC.