A tip of the cap to Herald blogger Kimberly Atkins who provides the subject matter of this post:
Attorney General Tom Reilly, on his gubernatorial campaign website, will use the words of Gov. Mitt Romney to rip a group he calls the new âGang of Threeâ: Romney, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, and President George W. Bush.
The page, set to launch soon under the banner âEnough is Enough!â will lists the three GOP pollsâ contact info, and a âBush-Romney-Healey Cost Indexâ keeping a running total of how much money he says Republicans are costing âaverage families.â
âTom Reilly and the people of Massachusetts have had enough of the âGang of Threeâ and their dismal record on the issues that affect the people of Massachusetts in their everyday lives,â the test will read.
âUnder the failed leadership of George Bush, Mitt Romney and Kerry Healey, the average Massachusetts family is paying anywhere from $2,900 to $10,500 more a year than they were just four years ago for basic needs such as heat, electricity, fuel, health insurance and tuition. Enough is Enough!â
I like this strategy for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s proactive. Kerry Healey is running her campaign from the same, old Republican playbook. It stands to reason that she will attempt to resurrect the “Gang of Three” message that Romney-Healey employed against Shannon O’Brien in 2002. As you may recall, they effectively linked O’Brien to Tom Finneran and Bob Travaglini and preyed upon voter concern that the Democratic nominee would not be an independent voice on behalf of the voters. By seizing the theme, Reilly is cleverly launching a preemptive strike, nuetralizing a component of Healey’s message.
Second, and most importantly, Reilly is forcing Kerry Healey to lay in a bed of her own making. . .with Mitt Romney and George Dubya! We’ve already begun to hear the re-invention of Kerry Healey by her campaign staff. (She’s not a national Republican. . .She’s different than Mitt, etc., etc.) Funny, I don’t recall Governor Romney and Lieutenant Governor Healey taking many stands against President Bush or the national Republican agenda. In fact, they have been Bush loyalists. Nor do I recall Healey ever standing up to Governor Romney when it mattered – like when he was actually governing the state and she wasn’t running to succeed him. Romney-Healey campaigned as moderates and governed as conservatives. Reilly’s tactic is designed to remind voters that Healey’s election year makeover means far less than the administration record of failure.
Finally, I like the fact that Reilly is maintaining a focus on Healey. Clearly, Healey has no intention of engaging her Democratic opponents over the summer, but why give her a free pass? She certainly doesn’t deserve one.
So kudos to the new “Gang of Three:” Bush-Romney-Healey! May their poll numbers and lack of accomplishments be an albatross around her neck!
Reilly is also smart to support the rollback to 5.0 and hence deprive Healey of her #1 attack on Democrats: taxes.
Healey’s people are sharping that immigration knife for Reilly and Deval.
It certainly makes sense to me as a strategy. The best part about it is that the connection of Bush-Romney-Healey is much tighter than O’Brien-Finneran-Trav. I also think that it is important that Reilly get this message out now before Healey has the opportunity to redefine herself.
I’m ready to join that support group.
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I’ll never back your candidate because I’ve got a better one, but it’s nice to be reminded that our candidates have a lot more in common than not.
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I just know that we Dems can stick together and stick it to the GOP this time!
My “never” is premised on the impossibility of your candidate winning the Primary. Obviously, if he did, I would be a supporter!
never ever!
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I’ll throw a welcoming party for you in the General!
I think there is something of a disconnect for the public when you lump them as a “gang of three.” Loose connection between Gov, Lt. Gov, and POTUS.
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Seems better to connect the dots with their platforms that have failed America and therefore MA residents with something like “birds of a feather fail US together.”
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Use that as a platform to show that Healey/Romney support the same failing policies as POTUS. Connecting Healey to Bush is a good idea, but something of a no-brainer. Candidates across the country are doing that. Putting financials to failed policies is good, but voters will think it tenuous at best.
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It is easier for the public to swallow the idea that candidates support Bush policies – policies I (the proverbial voter) does not like.
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Along those lines, it could well be argued that Reilly followed Bush’s anti-gay policies.
According to the Herald account, the purpose of the Bush-Romney-Healey Cost Index is strengthen the connection between the three. Whereas Healey is trying to distance herself from her own Governor and many Republicans are running away from George W, the “Index” will keep Healey’s feet to the fire. If the link is not solidified in the minds of voters, this will certainly help.
I’m glad at least one democrat is actually coming out on the offense, and not getting pounded on the ropes. and I’m still a Deval supporter.
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great post MD
doc! If I can’t get you on board for the Primary, there’s always the General!