- He came from an environment where success is difficult, and has succeeded brilliantly.
- He took on the tough task of improving the environment in companies that had/have a poor history of corporate citizenship.
- He is a masterful, charismatic speaker, the best in the race.
- He has excited a cynical, semi-dormant part of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts.
- He introduces ideas (like a longer school year) to the political discussion in Massachusetts.
- He’s pretty handsome.
- He’s succeeded in the corporate legal field, one where his race likely slowed appreciation for his work.
- He hustled to small gatherings around the state, doing retail politics the ol-fashioned way.
- I believe he genuinely wants to make this state a better place for its citizens.
Now, I like Gabrieli and don’t think I’ve really talked any smack about him, so I won’t make a list. I will say that I think he is probably the smartest candidate in the race, and has a knack for highlighting issues where the Democrats are much stronger than the Republicans.
Post-primary, we’re all on the same side for a reason. If the candidate is your least favorite, why are you backing him (and no, ‘he’s better than Kerry Healey’ doesn’t count, true as it may be). Let’s stay upbeat. I invite others to go out on a limb and say genuinely positive things about candidates they’ve been unkind about (attacked) in the past. Call it blogging group therapy.
Please share widely!
The people around them, their policy positions and their records are fair game.
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But I like your idea of actively saying nice things about the other guys for a change.
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I will say that I find Chris to be a very personable man. His kids are very cute in the commercial. I thought he was the stronger half of the ticket four years ago. (My apologies to O’Brien lovers in the audience.)
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Tom has been fine as AG. He overcame a tough start in his childhood. I believe his interest in public service is very sincere.
I feel an ancestral connection–and it’s not Bruce Springsteen, btw, whom I have seen 39 times in concert since I was 16–to this post.
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Here’s the bottom line: we’re all listening to the junk man, all dressed up in satin, play his serenade. He’s singing.
To recap:
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I’ve said Reilly is running a blundering, unimpressive campaign lacking in ideas. I panned his jokes at the St. Patrick’s Day event. I’ve called his stance on the income tax rollback pandering. I’ve criticized his implication that private sector experience should be an impediment to seeking public office. I’ve playfully questioned how much he really cares about indigenous people in South America.
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I’ve said Gabrieli tends to search for middle ground positions between Patrick and Reilly. I’ve said Gabs’ candidacy would be a joke if he weren’t so rich and pointed out that legislative leaders got him his 15%. I’ve called him a two-time loser. And I’ve questioned how much he really cares about those same indigenous people.
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On the other hand, Tom has spent his career in public service. I think he really believes in public service. He worked his way up from very rough beginnings. He lives modestly. As far as I can tell he has a very strong family life. He seems genuine. He does not reek of ambition — in fact, I doubt he thought much about running for Governor until he saw that he had a good chance of winning. The word “decent” keeps coming to mind about him. I don’t think he believes his Democratic opponents are bad guys, and that’s why I think he has seemed awkward recently in going after them. I truly intend that as a compliment: tearing down a good person, even your political opponent, does not come naturally to him (just compare him to Mitt and you’ll see what I mean).
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I have less of a sense of Chris because he hasn’t been a public figure as long. He is very smart and used his intellect and hard work to become very wealthy. People who know him better say he is genuinely full of ideas. His “I can’t wait to get started” line from one of his early ads strikes me as true. He also appears to have a strong family life. He has used his wealth to give generously to charity and to support Democratic candidates.
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Why did I recap my negative comments? Because I don’t think they’ve been that negative. Maybe I’m blind to it, maybe the Kool Aid has gone to my head, but I believe that while a plurality of posters here at BMG are Patrick supporters, most of the true personal nastiness has been directed at him. Tell me if I’m wrong.
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Politics ain’t beanbag, but I’m truly sick of all the insinuation that Deval’s a bad guy. He’s not, and most people who come to this site know it.
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Thank you, sabutai, for giving us an opportunity to look at this race from a different perspective.
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I really wish I could vote for Gabrielli in the general if my hero and the savior of MA politics somehow lost. But unfortunately I am unsure if I could do that, the way he entered in the race and used his personal money to influence it, and the non issue based campaign in my opinion is really cynical and insults the voters of this state. Which is a shame, I proudly supported him for Congress in 1998 and for LG in 2002 and hoped hed run this time around (before Deval stepped in) but the way he has campaigned has hurt my impression.
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Same with Reilly, Reilly while not a great public speaker, was a frequent customer at my brothers shoe store and this whole “Im one of you who doesnt forget my roots” thing isnt a schtick, its genuine. Itd be nice to have a non millionaire win. But the Marie St. Fleur controversey and his political pandering on the big dig and non committal issue positions disappointed me as well, and he too is running a cynical campaign.
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The real difference is in the campaigning, Deval has inspired me to go door to door and such a grassroots movement has never in my personal experience been so successful before.
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Saying these things I must stress that if Deval loses which I sincerely hope and dont think he will, I will definitely support the nominee just on as the best anti-Healy vote. But especially for Gabs, itd be tough to hold my nose and vote, and thats why I want to make sure Deval wins đŸ™‚
My mother always told me that if I had nothing good to say, then I probably shouldn’t say anything at all. I guess I never learned. (lol).
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There are many wonderful things I could say about Gabrieli. I think he’s right on a lot of the issues. If he started running a year ago and built up a grassroots organization like Deval did – and vowed to spend no more than a million of his dollars – then I probably would have jumped aboard his campaign if I learned about him before Deval. However, he never did those things, so I never got to support him.
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As far as Reilly is concerned – sure, he’s a man of the people. However, he comes across as an asshole. He ran a very negative campaign for AG and I can’t get past the Killer Coke story, especially since he hasn’t subsequently denounced Ray Rogers a la George Bush and the Swiftboaters.
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Can I say anything nice about the guy? He jumped aboard supporting gay rights right at the beginning. He thoroughly investigated ballot fraud on the anti-SSM ballot initiative, protecting GLBT rights. He ran a clean campaign for Governor and didn’t resort to any dirty tricks or swiftboating tactics. I guess I can’t. He’s a jerk, his campaign is fried and he should give up now and allow one of the best two candidates to win – without giving the Kerry Healey campaign any fodder. He isn’t fit to be governor of this state – I hear New Jersey is fan of corrupt politicians though.
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That’s my nice thing! He’d make a great Governor for the state of New Jersey…
We endorsed Patrick. We said why. For myself, I would rank the candidates DP/Gabs/Reilly.
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I am told by people that have worked for him and with him that Tom Reilly is an absolute straight-shooter: “Tom Reilly starches his socks.” That’s a good thing in an AG. I’m told that he genuinely wakes up every morning thinking about how best to serve the people of MA — a genuine public servant. He does things by the book, from what I’ve seen, regardless of the political fallout. These are not small virtues. (My objections to Reilly are based on how he has run his campaign — which is also not a small matter, to my mind.)
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Gabrieli is, as Adam Reilly said, a smart guy who has paid his dues. I think he genuinely wants to help the state. He is admirably restless, ambitious and creative. He is unfailingly positive and civil with the other candidates. I line up with him on almost all of the issues. I think he could beat Healey. I could vote for Chris in a heartbeat, were it not for what I consider to be an extraordinary opportunity with Patrick: I think Patrick has more potent leadership qualities. But I’m glad Chris is in the race, and I like the tone of his campaign, with the exception of the $15 million blunder.
I’m a Patrick supporter so-
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Gabs- Intelligent in his discussion of issues, I can tell he has thought about them. I also agree that he actually is a decent speaker in person, I trust him. He has done some great work in education, and the whole Left Med School to Help the Family Business story is very cool and admirable as well. Definitely he is the guy I want if not DP.
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Reilly- Sorry, but I’ve really got nothing. He’s done some decent things as AG, but I do think he’s a jerk and I strongly dislike his negativity as well. Also, the idea that you’re a man of the people living in your Watertown walk-up is kind of disingenuous when you make more than 100k a year.
GASB (Government accounting standard) 45 is requiring Towns/cities and states to disclose unfunded pension liabilities by 2008. The unfunded liability includes promised health coverage for retirees.
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The numbers are coming up huge with a current scandal in San Diego. But closer to home, the City of Newton has an unfunded liability that may approach $650 million; Brookline, it’s been mentioned on this board, owes $120 million and the State owes approximately $14 billion.
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Who know what the other towns will showing oweing. It’s a liability that may very well affect the bond ratings of the state and its municipalities.
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And of the candidates, only Ms. Healey has observed that there’s a problem and it should be addressed.
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In the Rooney interview, Mr. Patrick saw no need to address pensions. Mr. Reilly and Mr. Gabrieli, frankly, dodged the question, or ignored it.
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It’s a legitimate concern and she’s taken a position, whether you agree with her privatization solution or not, that the other candidates simply haven’t addressed.
Gabrieli: a science geek (much lie myself), and leaps above any candidate at handling education issues.
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Reilly: my grandma-in-law said this morning he does a lot of good things for old people.