Today at noon at WGBH News reporter Mike Deehan’s Facebook page. You can review the video any time.
Pat Jehlen is a Massachusetts state Senator representing Cambridge, Medford, Somerville and Winchester. She has been endorsed by Blue Mass Group and a host of others.
Liam Kerr is the facilitator for Wall Streeters and other corporate interests trying to purchase a MA Senate seat to facilitate privatized education state director of Democrats for Education Reform.
Michael Jonas from the ever-excellent Commonwealth Magazine has a primer with useful background here.
Among other interesting aspects of this debate, it was an excellent example of the ways in which the Internet can enhance public discourse. Check out the running stream of comments on the post.
The broadcast had an audience of about 150-200 people: an insignificant fraction of the electorate, but probably a fairly good fraction of people highly interested in the subject.
On balance, I thought it was a pretty useful discussion. It was good to see the two real candidates square off against each other. Onward to next Thursday.
Christopher says
…maybe it could be broadcast on WGBH itself. Even though the race is for a particular Senate district this issue has widespread interest and implications. Given Question 2 it could even air after the primary and still be relevant, I think.
SomervilleTom says
This guy, Liam Kerr, is a total an utter slimeball. I tried to watch this debate, and I gave up. He exemplifies the right-wing don’t-confuse-me-with-the-facts crudity that makes Fox News and the alt-right world so toxic.
The truth is that Ms. Jehlen’s husband is retired and neither Ms. Jehlen nor her husband have any relationship to the NEA or the MTA, as nearly as I can tell. That doesn’t mesh with Mr. Kerr’s prepared slime-attacks, so he went ahead with them anyway.
Maybe I’ll be able to finish the debate another time.
On another thread, I was chastised for describing Mr. Cheung as “Trumpist”. The portion of the debate I watched very much persuades me of the accuracy of that assessment.
David says
I wanted to watch, but Kerr’s “your husband’s group” strategy, or whatever he kept saying, was so awful that I couldn’t.
That said, I think it’s a huge win for Jehlen that this event happened at all, simply because I think it made Cheung look weak and ineffectual for Jehlen to debate the representative of a dark money organization that is bankrolling the effort to defeat her. It was a clever move of Jehlen to seek out the debate, and more savvy operators than Kerr et al. would have refused it out of hand.
stomv says
I was really surprised that Kerr and Cheung allowed Jehlen to define Kerr as the puppetmaster, controlling puppet Cheung with $200,000 strings.
JimC says
Was he asked that? OK, she is cool toward charters, but most advocacy organizations would seek to work with the Legislature, not unseat legislators.
Maybe they figured this race would get attention, or maybe they decided to work against Jehlen in particular; if so, that’s NRA-ish.