SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 005

LENGTH: 319 words

HEADLINE: O'Brien polling voters in effort to fathom loss

BYLINE: By DAVID R. GUARINO

BODY:
Seven weeks after losing the governor's race, state Treasurer Shannon P. O'Brien is polling voters again - to figure out why she lost and the early odds on her chances if she runs again, sources said yesterday.

O'Brien, Democratic Party sources said, authorized the poll to make sense of her stinging Nov. 5 loss to Gov.-elect Mitt Romney.  And, while allies suggest the Democrat isn't mulling another run in 2006, they say she wants to know if she should stick with politics. "She wants to get a better sense of what voters were thinking on Nov. 5 . . . and what they're thinking looking forward," one top Democrat said.

The results, according to Democrats told of the early data, show voters believe Romney beat O'Brien with a steady drumbeat of anti-tax rhetoric while hammering her as an inside leader of a "Gang of Three" with friends House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran and likely Senate President Robert E. Travaglini.

"It showed that she lost because of taxes and the Beacon Hill connections - that's not terribly surprising," said another Democrat.

Dwight Robson, O'Brien's campaign manager, confirmed the campaign was conducting a poll but declined further comment.

The survey, which sources said was extensive, includes many questions about specific issues that flared up during the contentious governor's race. Among them, the sources said, are attempts to gauge whether O'Brien's performance in the final debate was a death knell or whether she was hurt by support for gay marriage or her backing of abortions for 16-year-olds without parental consent.

At least one question seems to hint at O'Brien's future interest in politics, asking whether she should step aside for a new candidate or stay in public service.

It was unclear how much the poll is costing O'Brien. As of campaign filings of Dec. 15, O'Brien had $ 80,924 on hand - though she still is paying off past campaign debts.

LOAD-DATE: January 02, 2003