Blue Mass Group

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Globe Endorses Murray

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In this editorial in today’s Boston Globe, the editors endorse Tim Murray for Lieutenant Governor over his rivals, Andrea Silbert and Deb Goldberg.

The editors note

Murray’s best asset is his ability to see the connections among the state’s many challenges, including a sluggish economy, high-cost housing, shrinking population, and rising energy and healthcare costs.

Congratulations, Mr. Murray.

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Comments

  2. While Deval’s endorsement made me thrilled because I was almost positive they’d go with a tepid endorsement of Gabrieli, I was less surprised by Tim Murray’s endorsement. It makes sense to endorse Murray because of several things: 1. While he’s part of the establishment, he’s independent insofar as he’s been creatively addressing Worcester’s problems during his tenure as Mayor. 2. While he’s an establishment candidate, he certainly isn’t maligned with establishment tendencies – like being an ass, not wanting to debate or bending to accomodate the Catholic Church’s papel decrees.

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    Furthermore, he certainly has made a compelling case on a wider range of issues than Andrea Silbert – who is the candidate I voted for. Ultimately, I decided that the Lt. Governor was a job that has 2 requirements: competency, in case the Lt. Governor ever has to take over and secondly, the ability to make the case on one or two important issues. My vision of the Lt. Governor’s roll, I guess, is closest to Andreas: at the debate she suggested LT. Governor’s should have 2-3 main issues because that’s feasibly where they could concentrate on issues and take a legitimate leadership stake. If a Lt. Governor was to focus on more issues, it would dilute their ability to address them – the media wouldn’t consider the Lt. Governor the leader on the issue
    and thus wouldn’t pay as much attention to them. Furthermore, the Lt. Governor wouldn’t be able to be involved at the planning level more if they were involved in a broader range of issues.

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    So, subconciously, that probably factored into why I voted for Andrea. However, I also like her because she has a fiery presense and almost demands – politely – attention. That said, if the three LG candidates were the ones running for Governor, I’d probably be supporting Tim Murray now because I definitely think he has a wider command of the issues and a record of municipal success badly needed on Beacon Hill to help turn around our floundering cities such as Lynn, Springfield and New Bedford/Fall River.

  3. Perhaps this question is off subject but why does the Globe or any newspaper for that matter feel the need to endorse anyone?  I mean shouldn’t the Globe try to simply be an  objective reporter of news?  To the extent the Globe endorses any candidate I realize that the paper is biased and accordingly respect anything they print even less. 

    • Do you think they would be any more objective if they didn’t endorse? Everyone has opinions, and at least this way we know where the Globe editorial page stands. I respect the Globe more for standing up and taking a position than pretending they have no proference.

      • In other words, any criticism of the Globe for being too liberal/democratic has merit.  It should be the ultimate priority of the editors to keep news objective.  Perhaps that’s one of the reasons readership of the Globe is at record lows. 

    • According to an article linked to elsewhere, the Boston Globe weekday circulation declined 8.5% last year, but the Herald’s was down 9.1%. The MetroWest Daily News was down 12.7%. Are they all “too liberal” too?

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      It’s useful to understand the industry in general before jumping to conclusions. Print subscriptions are dropping at many if not most traditional daily newspapers in America, while readership online is soaring. As I mentioned in another post, boston.com reports 172 million page views a month. That might make up for a loss of some print readers.

      • I stand corrected, the decline in readership of the Globe probably has little to do with the fact the paper is biased.  I just thought the Globe was a step above Fox News or other biased news sources.  I guess not.

        • The decline “readership” has alot to do with the fact that people just choose to read the paper on-line. I know I cancelled my subscription a couple years back but read it on-line everyday.

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          Maybe readership should be substituted by paid subscribers?

      • I get the Boston Globe via e-mail along with the NYTimes and the Washington Post. Young people typically move around a lot so its hard to get mail at any permanent address.

  4. Cranky Old Hungarian Expatriate editorialist Robert Z. Nemeth has also, on the Democratic side, endorsed both Deval Patrick and Tim Murray in today’s Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

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    I say “on the Democratic side” because he will probably end up endorsing Healey/Hillman for the main contest.

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    But that Cranky Old Bob would choose Patrick over “government is a business” Gabrieli is significant, since he has heretofore run screaming in the other direction anytime anyone tagged – however inaccurately – with the adjective “liberal” has come within six miles of his desk.

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    I will opt for Messrs. Patrick and Murray because I believe they are better suited for the job than the other two Democrats. During my interview with Mr. Patrick, I found his thoughtfulness, eloquence and sincerity impressive. The same goes for his remarkable career that led from life on welfare in Chicago to an elite prep school, a Harvard University law degree, landmark legal work with the NAACP, a top job in the Clinton Justice Department and finally to high echelons of corporate America. He has been gaining ground steadily in a three-way race that includes entrepreneur Chris Gabrieli and Thomas Reilly, the current state attorney general and former front-runner.

    Tim Murray’s leadership qualities, hard drive and loyalty to the Democratic Party are well known in this neck of the woods, and beyond. As the popular part-time mayor of a city that functions under a council-manager form of government, he used his authority well, crafting a proactive agenda for the community. Mr. Patrick and Mr. Murray enjoy the full backing of Jim McGovern, the area’s powerful congressman. The three could form a formidable alliance behind the liberal agenda. There is, of course, room for debate on whether such an alliance, or agenda, would benefit the commonwealth already dominated by one party.

    Mr. Murray’s two opponents, Andrea C. Silbert, a champion of women’s causes, and Deborah B. Goldberg, a supermarket heiress with deep pockets, offer respectable resumes but seem to lack depth and overall experience for a statewide office. It remains to be seen whether they can overcome the handicap of splitting the female vote.

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    Full article here. It will only be up for about a week or so, and searchable for another week.

    • Is this guy an editorialist from 1936 or 1996? Does he think that no “females” will vote for Murray, or that no men will vote for Silbert or Goldberg because they are women? Why would anyone pay any attention whatsoever to someone who was so out of touch with the electorate? Next time I open a time capsule, I’ll give Mr. Nemeth a call.

      • There does seem to be a female vote in Democratic primaries.

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        I have noticed it in some real down-ballot races, particularly for elections to the Democratic Town Committee.  Almost always, when spouses appear next to each other in the ballot, the female will collect an additional two or three votes per precinct.  Of course, results may vary based on the different contest and by geography, but there is a “vote for the female” strand in the results.  Of course, there is also likely to be a “I won’t vote for women (minorities, people not born in town, et al)” strand in the electorate, but that’s another story.

        • … but I would like to point out that 54% of donors to the Deval Patrick campaign (last I heard a few weeks ago, and I doubt it’s changed much) were women. That’s about twice the level of participation in the traditional political campaign.

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          Make of it what you will. Maybe Deval’s just sexier than the other guys, but I suspect it has more to do with his philosophy of inclusiveness.

  5. I disappointed that a newspaper would back any one candidate.  I know this is asking too much, but I would like to read about all candidates, and not a one sided slide towards the one candidate they want to win.

    • The Globe, indeed all newspapers, have been writing endlessly about these candidates for months and months.  Don’t you read?

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