Gladys Knight and The (Senate) Pips

Gladys Knight. Coakley, the attorney general, is out front in all published polls. She benefits from pent-up demand for the first female senator in the state’s history. The Democratic Party is dominated by women voters, and it’s embarrassing that this liberal state has never had a female US senator.

Coakley has a law enforcement background; she successfully sued Big Dig contractors, prosecuted pedophile priests, and extracted a sizable settlement from Goldman Sachs. She has a corner on the women’s vote and activist women’s money - here and around the country, because there’s no other Senate race going on.

“The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.’’ With three men running against her, Coakley is well-positioned. A noncontact campaign keeps her out in front. She would love The Pips to attack one another.

But Martha ain’t got no soul. Her preciseness of language is lawyerly and utterly unspontaneous, with words chosen to offend (or stir) no one. She presents her record as if it’s a resume, forgetting that this isn’t about her, it’s about us.

Pip #1. Michael Capuano, congressman from Somerville, ran a flight of early TV spots. Since then, he raised only $300,000 in September, but his campaign claims it has more than a million dollars on hand.

When Joe Kennedy II quit the US House, Capuano, then mayor of Somerville, defeated two millionaires, former mayor Ray Flynn, a female state senator, and five others.

“I Heard it Through the Grapevine.’’ In the worst-kept secret of the campaign, Kennedy is expected to endorse Capuano. A Kennedy family friend told the Boston Herald that Joe K wants his son to take Capuano’s congressional seat. Ipso facto, create an opening by helping Capuano win the Senate seat.

Alas, the Kennedy brand is being diluted. Steve Smith Jr. endorsed Capuano and Max Kennedy endorsed Alan Khazei. And it is rumored that Stephen Pagliuca once bought a dozen suits at Kennedy’s Clothing Store.

Capuano is an urban liberal with a chip on his shoulder. A member of a key congressional committee, Capuano corralled endorsements from colleagues Barney Frank and James McGovern. He worked to create an office of congressional ethics and increase international aid to troubled countries. But he took $60,000 in campaign contributions from a Washington lobbying firm under federal investigation. He’s since given the money to charity.

Pip #2. Khazei was cofounder of City Year and started Be the Change, a volunteer citizens organization. Astonishingly, he raised $1.1 million in September for his maiden campaign. And he did it without PAC money - a point he will use against Capuano and Coakley.

“Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye).’’ Khazei is leading Pagliuca for third place. Khazei’s all-volunteer army is challenging Pagliuca’s checkbook campaign. Khazei’s got one big accomplishment: President Clinton modeled his AmeriCorps program after City Year. His candidacy hurts Capuano, who wants to stand to the left of all Pips.

Pip #3. Pagliuca, aka Money Pags, is an owner of the Boston Celtics. Seems like an earnest venture capitalist. His first two TV commercials, in the words of one political scribe, looked like hostage videos. He hired political consultants to help him decide if he should run. They took one look at his $400 million and the fat commissions they’ll get for his TV buy, and decided - voila! - he should run. He’s not ready. A fat bank account isn’t enough in a short campaign. His business background is better suited for governor than senator. He doesn’t even know which party he belongs to, having given money to defeat Ted Kennedy and John Kerry and to elect George W. Bush.

“Midnight Train to Georgia.’’ If Pags finishes a distant fourth, maybe he’ll leave town and buy a share of the Atlanta Hawks.

Dan Payne is a Boston-area media consultant who has worked for Democratic candidates around the country. He does political analysis for WBUR radio.