Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Thoughts on Thursday’s debate

By

I finally got a chance to catch Thursday’s gubernatorial candidates’ forum at the NECN website; kudos to NECN for keeping it up there. Here are my thoughts:

  • Of all the candidates, I consistently found Chris Gabrieli the easiest to listen to. He’s thorough, he’s on point, he seems to know his stuff and he seems like he cares. Say what you like about his immense media buy and his potential difficulties at the convention, but he walks and talks like a real candidate, i.e. one that could win.

  • I wish all candidates would just answer the friggin’ question they’ve been asked. Any time someone says, “Well, first off, RD, I want to

    a. Thank the Kennedy School for blah blah;

    b. say that Kerry Healey ought to be here because yadda yadda;

    c. give a shout out to Lower Glendale High — GO FIGHTING EMUS!

    etc. etc. … I wanna scream. Just, stop, hurting, America, please.

  • Strongest language from Tom Reilly on Cape Wind: “It’s a ripoff.” I’d like to know what Plan B is, and the ETA of such a project. His lack of a plan B for the LNG location was, uh, not such a good moment.

  • sco is absolutely right about Patrick’s need for a snappy way to address the tax question. That being said, I was non-plussed by Alison King asking if Patrick was being “disingenuous” about taxes. Look, that’s a value judgement that a reporter just should not be making. Just lay out the facts, juxtapose them as you wish; but come on, let people make up their own minds. For instance, no reporter asked Tom Reilly (for instance) if he was being “disingenuous” about his budget figures — and one shouldn’t. Let the viewer decide, OK? That’s why you’re the pros, and we’re not.

  • Best line of the night: Deval Patrick on the Big Dig, noting the “breathtaking lack of curiousity in where that money went.”

  • Huh? moment: Patrick contrasting Romney offering shelter to New Orleans evacuees, but not providing shelter to … whom? the homeless of MA? Is that what he meant?

  • Mihos … gosh, I just don’t think about Mihos much. He’s winging it.

  • RD Sahl rocks. In fact, all the reporters — with the exception of the one remark noted above — did a fine job.
    • Please share widely!
    fb-share-icon
    Tweet
    0

    Comments

    2. I too thought RD Sahl was a great moderator, and an unexpected treat in this telecast.

    3. Of all the candidates, I consistently found Chris Gabrieli the easiest to listen to. He’s thorough, he’s on point, he seems to know his stuff and he seems like he cares. Say what you like about his immense media buy and his potential difficulties at the convention, but he walks and talks like a real candidate, i.e. one that could win.

      <

      p>
      Would you care to substantiate this as you did with all other comments for those who were not there?

      • … argh, but you’re making me find my notes … here they are. OK, the first question was a softball, on economic development. Softballs are OK. I thought his response to Oakes on stem cell research seemed comprehensive; his answer on where to situate life-science funding was specific — he’d fund the research at UMass Medical Center in Worcester.

        <

        p>
        I guess I appreciated most his acknowledgement that raising the minimum wage doesn’t get people into the middle class. I appreciate an admission that there’s no quick fix.

        <

        p>
        More to the point; it was a general comment, a general impression. So far his speaking style is wearing well on me.

    Archives