s ▁political ▁positions ▁did ▁not ▁fall ▁neat ly ▁into ▁party ▁lines , ▁and ▁called ▁Brown ▁" main stream ▁in ▁a ▁nation ▁that ▁defines ▁itself ▁as ▁mostly ▁conserv ative ." ▁Bor is ▁Sh or , ▁political ▁scient ist ▁at ▁the ▁Harris ▁School ▁of ▁Public ▁Policy , ▁described ▁Brown ▁as ▁a ▁liberal ▁Republican ▁by ▁national ▁standards , ▁but ▁well - su ited ▁for ▁his ▁Massachusetts ▁constitu ency . ▁Sh or ▁explained ▁the ▁support ▁Brown ▁was ▁receiving ▁from ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁national ▁Republican ▁Party ▁as ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁" de central ized ▁decision " ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁candidate ▁most ▁likely ▁to ▁win . ▁ ▁Brown ▁won ▁a ▁lands lide ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁primary ▁on ▁December ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁defe ating ▁late ▁entr ant ▁and ▁per enn ial ▁candidate ▁Jack ▁E . ▁Robinson ▁by ▁a ▁margin ▁of ▁ 8 9 ▁percent ▁to ▁ 1 1 ▁percent . ▁ ▁Brown ' s ▁oppon ents ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁were ▁Democratic ▁nom ine e , ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Mar tha ▁Co ak ley , ▁and ▁independent ▁Joseph ▁L . ▁Kennedy ▁( no ▁relation ▁to ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁family ). ▁At ▁the ▁out set , ▁he ▁faced ▁over wh el ming ▁odd s ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁relatively ▁unknown ▁compared ▁to ▁Co ak ley , ▁he ▁was ▁running ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁in ▁a ▁very ▁Democratic ▁state , ▁and ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁campaign ing ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁done ▁during ▁the ▁Christmas ▁and ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁season ▁when ▁citizens ▁do ▁not ▁generally ▁pay ▁much ▁attention ▁to