As a Reilly supporter, one of the most frustrating inaccuracies that appears throughout many BMG posts is this concept that Tom Reilly’s candidacy lacks substance, despite the fact that Reilly has issued policy papers that are as detailed, if not more so, than any other candidate for Governor. To be perfectly honest, I believe the myth that Tom Reilly lacks vision is a convenient device for those with an ideological agenda who would rather dismiss Reilly as “lacking heft” than address the fact that a serious, centrist Democratic candidate for Governor just might be what Massachusetts wants and needs.
In the past, I have posted about Tom Reilly’s environmental plan and health plan. While I am grateful to Charley for promoting the health plan to the front page, these attempts to correct the misperception that Reilly is not fighting for something real and important seem to be falling on deaf ears, at least in some quarters.
That is why I was glad to see Health Care for All’s John McDonough blog about Tom Reilly’s health plan. To my knowledge, McDonough has no affiliation with the Reilly campaign (I would be surprised if he was affiliated with any campaign) and he discusses both the pros and the cons of Reilly’s proposal. However, given the general lack of attention that policy proposals receive and the perpetuation of the aforementioned myth about Reilly’s gravitas, McDonough’s opening stood out:
AG and Gov. candidate Tom Reilly released his health platform back on April 27 and I’ve yet to see any media attention to it. While most voters ignore issue platforms, they represent the consensus opinion among a candidate’s advisors, and indicate the candidate’s comfort zone on an issue. In short, they matter. And because Tom Reilly is striking harder than anyone to identify the “sensible middle,” his positions can be seen as a barometer of the current health care “center of gravity.” So let’s treat Tom Reilly’s effort with respect and check it out.
At a bare minimum, I simply want to draw attention to the fact that Tom Reilly is out there fighting for something. For me, as a Democrat, he is my voice in this race and I happen to believe that he speaks for a large number of people. Kudos to John McDonough for putting a spotlight on Tom Reilly’s health plan and treating it, in his own words, “with respect.”
