It may be little surprise to Marry in Massachusetts readers that I went for Mike Capuano. A few have asked by we at Left Ahead! have not made a pick though.
Over there, we rarely do. First, while the three of us are self-identified progressives, we differ on the air and otherwise on candidates and policy, while tending to head toward the same goals. Ryan and Lynne expect to endorse shortly and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them chose another candidate.Also, as a group, we keep some neutrality. We interview many candidates and tend to let them make their points so our listeners can decide for themselves.
In fact, in that vein, we have tried to get Martha Coakley to join us for a show. So far, she and her staff has ignored us. Capuano did come on and Alan Khazei is making noise about doing that, although he has little time left and has to be damned busy.
Like the Woody Allen line about 80% of success being showing up, we have had to go with second-hand info about the candidates other than Mike.
My full personal endorsement details my reasoning. For here though, I note that the most important factors are Mike is the only one with the experience, that in reality and not theory he has voted bravely and what I see as correctly, and that I have no reason to believe any of the other three Dems or two Republicans will magically blossom into a worthy Senator from the things they are and have done.
Apparently many think and feel otherwise. I'd love pointers to their endorsements if they blog. Otherwise, a statement here would make for good BMG conversation.
~Mike Ball, a.k.a. massmarrier
I weighed in here a while ago. I thought that your endorsement was very well thought out. We’d love to have your help on the campaign. Contact me at katedonaghue AT aol DOT com if you’d like and we can talk about how you can help! Kate
Not Capuano’s lawn signs, mind you…
to remind certain voters of the Thursday December 10th special election!
Most of the folks around the table tomorrow are from New Hampshire. Bad enough I bug them about the primary, now I gotta make sure they’re backing Paul Hodes…
a Winchester, MA guy whom I heard was running for Governor.
Neil, thanks for asking!
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p>The main focus as we go into the final two weeks is direct voter contact. I am happy to work with anyone who wants to get involved. I can be reached at 508-404-8531 or at katedonaghue AT aol DOT com . I am good at finding ways that volunteers can help that match the campaign goals and what people want to do.
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p>Please do call the campaign headquarters directly at 617-868-2009. They will be taking a little bit of time off between late this evening and early Friday. But you can call ME anytime and I will talk with you. They don’t call me relentless for nothing.
And congrats on getting over the 1,000 mark on FB!
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p>BTW Kate – I hear that our good friend, the Congressman from Vermont will be in Boston on Monday for all sorts of good causes, including his own.
Just my 1000 closest friends.
n/t
That would be interesting. And not just for the editors either…
Then we could predict who will win the prediction contest.
im proud to endorse and volunteer for daily mike capuano
For reasons I’ve mentioned previously. With no transition period or opportunity for orientation this time I think a House member is best positioned to hit the ground running. He already knows the players, has already worked on some of the issues that will come up, knows the legislative process, and has a staff in place that he can move across the Hill.
Years of extensive municipal experience. It’s in his blood and no one has to inform him how a particular piece of legislation is going to affect our cities and towns. We won’t have to scream “unfunded mandate!” He gets it.
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p>I particularly like the closing of massmarrier’s endorsement:
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Great article on WBUR today. It highlights Mike’s battle to get ethics reform passed in the House. The fact that it was a one vote margin tells me that he got as much as the membership could stomach. Job well done. A job, I am sure no one else wanted.
It didn’t take too long working with Mike and his office on various issues for me to know that I would vote for him in any election for any elected office. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike’s passion, tenacity and effectiveness.
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p>He has the rare ability both to see what is the best way forward, and to know how to move in that direction.In terms of Plato’s ship of state: he can both navigate the ship, and steer it.
I also like Mike Capuano. I posted on my blog on this. http://danielbosley.blogspot.com/
for all the reasons that have exhaustively been articulated by those intending to vote for him.
Constituent services matter and his are excellent. Plus all the other reasons..
For many great reason, as we’ve discussed time and again.
I like Coakley but Capuano has really shown himself to be a stand up guy as mayor. I worked in a tough Somerville health agency when he was mayor and he repeatedly stood up for our folks. Has been on right side of virtually every issue in Congress as well as having the kind of engaging and assertive style he would need in Senate. I think Coakley is smart, has been a very good AG and sending our first woman to Senate has some intrinsic value. Coakley would probably be a very good senator, but Capuano is guaranteed to be very good and possibly outstanding. Khazei and Pagliuca are spoilers who may sway a close election. I think both of them take votes from Capuano.
Hmm. The Globe poll indicates that, when Khazei and Pagliuca voters are asked who their second choice is, over 40% of both Khazei and Pags voters say Coakley; the numbers who say Capuano are 20% (Khazei voters) and 32% (Pagliuca voters). So I don’t know of any evidence to back up the theory that Khazei and/or Pagliuca are playing some sort of “spoiler” role that hurts Capuano; indeed, the evidence suggests that, if anything, they are “spoilers” that hurt Coakley by keeping Capuano closer than he’d otherwise be.
that my personal “sidewalk” observation from work and family. I haven’t been following closely. . That looks like a very well done direct poll indicating the opposite of what I have heard totally informally. Cant argue with that.
Mike Capuano supports the issues that are important to me and my family – ethics, jobs, health care, civil liberties, and a sensible foreign policy. The other candidates are good and honorable people but, in my opinion, Mike leads them all and I am working to see that he is the Democratic nominee.
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p>I first saw Mike in action as the Mayor of Somerville where he brought joy, progress, and, yes, redemption to the city, nowhere more evident than in the rejuvenation of Union and Davis Squares. As a former member of the Redevelopment Authority in Woburn I know how difficult that task is, with the competing needs of merchants, residents, the disadvantaged, local politicians, and city and state administrators. He had the personal skills to get the job done.
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p>I liked what I saw in the 1990’s and helped him run for Joe Kennedy’s seat in Congress, before his surprise victory in the primary. I applaud his courageous vote in the House to stay out of Iraq, his votes for working people, his efforts to bring research dollars into Massachusetts, his straight talk, and his approach to legislation, including his vote to keep health care reform alive in a crucial vote two weeks ago.
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p>I like Mike. And as a long-time, committed Democrat (McGovern organizer and delegate at the ’72 convention in Miami, McCarthy, Dukakis, Patrick and Obama worker), I decided to join this forum so that I could “vote” and show my support to an audience I respect.
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p>In this, my first posting, I wish all a Happy Thanksgiving. And I explain that my Brazilian friends and other trades people call me:
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p>Mister Bob
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p>Bob Gonsalves, Woburn
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p>A man without a job is a man without a destiny
He would make the best Senator.
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p>(I borrowed Neil’s lawn sign.)
For reasons I have articulated elsewhere here. But to be concise. He is the only proven progressive in the race, he has taken tough stances when they were considerably unpopular (Iraq War, Patriot Act, farm subsidies) in some cases bucking his party and even sentiments within his district. He is the only candidate committed to forging an exit strategy in Afghanistan. Only candidate with national security experience, constituent service (his House offices are excellent by the way) experience, experience with local government, and the best candidate for a host of reasons for continuing Ted Kennedy’s legacy.
it’s as much yours as it is mine.
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p>substitute angle bracket “less than” for { and angle bracket “greater than” for }
I am a yellow-dog Democrat: I would sooner vote for a yellow dog than for a Republican. Here in MA, that causes me heartburn sometimes, for there are more “Democrats” in our little Commonwealth than honest-to-god Democrats. Mike Capuano strikes me as a politician who would be a Democrat even if he was running for office in, say, Utah.
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p>Martha Coakley strikes me as a politician who, if she lived in Utah, might well have chosen to rise through the ranks as a Republican. I’m NOT saying she’s merely an oppostunist with a pliable political philosophy. And I am CERTAINLY not saying that I will fail to vote for her in the general if she gets the nomination. But I cannot say that Martha Coakley has shown me, over the years, much positive reason to think of her as a Democrat at heart, rather than just in name.
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p>For what it’s worth, I also think of Khazei as a Democrat and Pagliuca as a “Democrat” by the same what-would-they-call-themselves-in-Utah test. It’s hard to articulate why, but there it is.
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p>–TP
from the gut. “If this candidate lived in Utah, what party would they belong to?”
Whomever is giving 6’s to all the BMGer’s who support Mike Capuano.