In a flurry of activity on Sunday in advance of the special election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, one of the uglier stories was an audible shout from the audience at a Scott Brown rally in West Springfield. As Brown was working his way through his stump speech, a voice in the crowd can be heard shouting "Stick a curling iron up her butt!"
Late Sunday night, a video of the encounter popped up, and Scott Brown's response is worth examining:
There is no question that Brown hears the remark, and there is little doubt as to whether or not he smiled at the mark. He then appears to launch back into his stump speech, although what he says is a little tough to make out.
Coakley's path to victory lies in hoping that the late efforts made on her part (including yesterday's rally with President Obama) bump up her favorables. At the same time, she has to hope that Brown's missteps get widespread media attention.
His lack of a response to the rhetoric put on display in that incident (beyond, perhaps, smirking at it) is the kind of thing that female voters, in particular, are unlikely to appreciate.