Just as a reminder, today’s the BlogLeft/Lowell Dems forum of the candidates for lieutenant governor, to take place at 2PM in Lowell. Check out Blue Mass Group for details and broadcast/streaming info. I expect to be liveblogging here.
Both Point 08 Acres and Adam Reilly watch last night’s gubernatorial debate and came away with similar conclusions: Chris Gabrielli needs to talk about more than stem cell research. I missed the debate but suspect they’re right. Gabrielli’s ads are slick and smart advertising, and I think his stem cell one might be effective as […]
I think Sachem Head may be right that Tom Reilly is modeling himself into the new Finneran:
It seems clear to me that the cultural demographic that Reilly is trying to corner is the lunch-pail, Reagan Democrat type. He’s promising to “listen to the people” and cut taxes. And he says he won’t be beholden to the […]
On the Democratic side for Lieutenant General primary, a four-way race among relative unknowns (Tim Murray, Worcester mayor, probably has the most prominent profile) has meant that only insiders were following, and it was unclear to the wider public (OK, it was unclear to me) what the differences were the candidates were, what stake in […]
To follow up on yesterday’s offhand comment about political labels being relative… I am not one of those people who sneer at labeling. In general I do think it matters whether one is liberal or conservative, left or right, because differences in underlying assumptions translate into difference ideas of what the polity should do.
But there […]
One moment during yesterday’s gubernatorial debate struck me as odd. Jon Keller asked the question: if you absolutely had to raise a significant amount of revenue quickly, what tax would you use? Reilly offered a nonanswer (I wouldn’t do it), but Gabrielli made the point that he wasn’t sure, but he would look for a […]
I just got done watching CBS4’s debate with the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Thanks to the station and host Jon Keller, not only for having it, but for a debate that was refreshingly substantive and engaging. No horserace questions, or media feedback loops, just the issues.
On those, each candidate said some things I nodded along […]
Jon Keller interviews independent gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos. On almost everything, he gave evasive and inconsequential answers. For instance, Mihos is touting a refund on local property taxes using general state revenues. Sensibly, Keller pressed Mihos on what taxes he might raise when state revenues inevitably fall. Mihos’s response?
State revenues collapse because more people, […]
Carpundit, a Healey supporter, roots for a Deval Patrick primary win:
I hope its Patrick. Massachusetts isn’t going to elect a black lefty to the corner office. Maybe a black centrist, but not a lefty.
Now, his hyperbole could be intentional, a way of tarring a political opponent. But at some point, the labels you fling around […]
.08 Acres has an interesting post wondering if yesterday’s announcement from Christy Mihos that he’s running for governor as an independent means the end of the Massachusetts GOP.
I am not saying that the Democrats are now guaranteed victory in November. It is possible that Christy Mihos might win, and it’s still not impossible (though I […]
Bay Windows asks "Can the Mass. GOP without the gays?".
Interesting analysis. I know it’s self-serving for Bay Windows (and me) to think the gay vote’s important, but they’re probably right. Not because the Log Cabin vote is so huge, but because it represents larger choices of coalitions of voter blocs.
sco at .08 Acres gives another thorough and thoughtful analysis of Massachusetts voters, partly in response to my questions/critiques from before. I’m starting to feel we’re reenacting some distant version of the Thomas Frank-Larry Bartels debate, a humanities-social science split in perspective and assumptions. As the humanist trying to make sense of the polity, and […]
The developments in local politics are coming too fast and furious for me to keep up with, especially given my overloaded schedule this week. Snackgate was the most fun and most surreal, of course. But the news of substance has been word that a draft-Chris Gabrielli movement may be underway to try to siphon off […]
David Eisenthal questions Wayne Woodlief’s math ability (subs. req.) and offers his own odds for the Governor’s race:
Deval Patrick 45% probability (60% primary)Tom Reilly 22% (40% primary)Kerry Healey 2% (100% primary)Christy Mihos 30%(Percentages don’t add up to 100 due to rounding.)
David’s assessment sounds mostly reasonable to me, at least given the race right now. […]
Since the details of party machinations and caucusing can get a little overwhelming and step back with some off-the-cuff analysis, for what it’s worth, of what happened this last weekend in state politics. Here are the winners and losers.
Winner: Deval PatrickHis supporters should be commended. Undoubtedly the news cycle worked in their favor, but Patrick’s […]