Democrat Challenger to Scott Brown Taking a Page Out of the Senator's Campaign Playbook

It was a precursor of things to come. One of the most memorable campaign ads ever, and a symbol of the biggest political upset in recent memory. Whether or not you are satisfied with his voting record in the Senate thus far, few will forget Scott Brown's truck:

Now a Democratic challenger to Brown in 2012 is stealing a page out of the Republican senator's playbook. Boston Globe on candidate Thomas P. Conroy's story:

"He has hiked more than 400 miles this summer, including a 14-mile uphill stretch of the Mohawk Trail on blistered feet and a 101-degree slog from Holyoke to Wilbraham. Rotating among three pairs of footwear - sturdy hiking boots and two pairs of New Balance sneakers - he has completed more than half of a 600-mile odyssey that will take him on a spiraling loop across the state’s idiosyncratic landscapes."

"In the political era of rapid-response Twitter feeds, Conroy, 49, is taking a decidedly slow route. The three-term state representative from Wayland is believed to be the first candidate in the state to walk its entirety seeking votes, drawing inspiration from Lawton Chiles, a legendary Florida politician who traversed his state 41 years ago in a similar underdog campaign that vaulted him from the state Senate into the US Senate."

Conroy has been blogging throughout his journey, describing each day's walk and the Bay State residents he meets along the way.

It seems that tacky yet viral-worthy campaign tactics may be growing in Massachusetts. Of the six Democrats announced so far to be challenging Brown in 2012, several candidates seem to each have their own little gimmick. The Boston Globe reports that Alan Khazei is touring the state asking one critical question: “What works?’’ And Herb Robinson has been driving to Democratic Town Committee barbecues in his Harley.

How do you think these challengers will do? In the midst of three wars and a possible double-dip recession will voters appreciate or be turned off by candidates going out of their way in unorthodox campaigns to connect with constituents?