The reason is that strategically I believe we should be doing everything we can from the grassroots to the grasstops to welcome and listen to these concerns and bring everyone we can onboard.
I’m interested in other opinions. But I understand that these reservations are political reservations and we should not take them personally. I understand what it feels like to feel that you don’t have a place at the table. Everyone should understand that we don’t have to agree on everything and every position. But I have to believe, just as I believed having Chris Gabrieli (and Tom Reilly) in the race along with Deval would improve the eventual nominee significantly.
Whatever it takes with a phone call, a sitdown, whatever, we should find common ground. If that doesn’t work fine, but we should only move on after a significant effort to understand the concerns.
This isn’t the XYZ Affair. We collectively have the skills and political capital and abilities to work together so that every concern is heard. Sometimes politics is the art of compromise, other times it is just communication and respect.
If it takes getting Deval’s top braintrust behind closed doors to listen, then I say better to have tried and failed then never to have tried. Maybe this is where some of us previously on other campaigns can help to listen, analyze and help to fill the big tent?
I know in my town, it’s extremely important for me to do whatever is necessary to get former Reilly supporters on board with Deval & Tim. We’re not going to win unless we find common ground with these people and saying ‘You’re a Dem, I demand you support the Dem’ just doesn’t cut it.
I agree with everything that’s said in this post. I want every Reilly voter and every Gabrieli voter, as well as all the Dems and independents and open-minded Republicans who didn’t vote last Tuesday, to want Deval Patrick to win. And it’s incumbent on us, and the Patrick campaign, to do what we can to make that happen.
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My post, and evident frustration therein, was directed specifically at the guys in the legislature, not at voters, and I hope that was clear. I stand by what I said about the problems that those guys have created for any Democratic candidate – which are much much less about ideology than they are about insideritis, incumbentitis, Big Dig Culture, call it what you will. I think voters are sick of the inside-the-building mentality that prevails up there, and it’s galling to hear the folks who are responsible for it regurgitate (to borrow Adam Reilly’s words) Kerry Healey’s talking points about why Deval Patrick is “too liberal.” He’s not, and if they’re really the political geniuses they claim to be, they should know better.
and want to add a little. We cannot expect everyone to agree with every position Deval takes, I know I don’t and I really don’t expect people to the right of me to. However, if those three are at all interested in seeing a Democratic governor then they need to keep some issues to themselves. The best way to handle these types of concerns is in private. Now that Patrick is our nominee his campaign should be doing outreach to legislative leaders to get their imput. Building good relationships now and hearing concerns now will make for a much better transition in January and it keeps our dirty laundry out of the public’s eye. A unified front is needed and those three stooges didn’t much help by using Healey’s talking points.
…you’re right, a more circumspect approach is called for. And also the understanding that we don’t need to get ALL the votes from ALL the voters, but just whatever the Republicans get, +1. So, if the Dan Conleys of the world withhold support, that’s fine. But we should continue to get out our message and vision for the future of Massachusetts to whomever will listen. Nothing changes because of these three guys.
Part of getting rid of the Big Dig culture is to change expectations. If all candidates want to win by is 50% +1, they can get away with the Big Dig Culture and survive the next election without too much to worry. However, if candidates try to have mass appeal – David’s big tent – then the Big Dig Culture will die.
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I’m not suggesting we try to make people need to win by more than a majority, I’m merely voters pick candidates who have some sort of broad appeal – that voters avoid candidates like George W, who wins by 1 or 2% and calls it an ‘electoral mandate.’ That’s actually been the entire Republican strategy, win by the smallest margin possible so you only have to represent their views. Democratic machine candidates are sometimes like that too, but with a different strategy and reasoning.
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That’s what we need to change – and having these three DINOs in our state house undermines the effort to clean up politics as usual.
I’m not saying I want, or that we should settle for, 50%+1. I’m just saying that with the kind of poll results we’re seeing early, and with the strength of this particular candidate, a take-no-prisoners approach would be over-kill and would potentially alienate would-be allies without actually managing to change the minds of dissenting “Democrats.”
There has been a lot of discussion on this subject both on this thread and many others dealing with the Victory 06 obstacles as well.
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I agree whole heartedly that we need to work together to beat both Christy and Kerry. If we don’t come together and work to reach out to the more moderates we are going to have a real problem and it is OUR job to make sure that we get everyone that was with Reily and Gab’s on board.
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As an aside – what the heck is Victory 06 doing?? They are badgering the people that were with Patrick and have not even been contacting the people that were with other campaigns. When on another thread I was shocked at the tactics and sort shocked I had not heard a peep. Being an overly active volunteer on Gab’s campaign I thought for sure I would start hearing from Victory 06 by at least Thursday but still nothing.
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We have a LOT of work to do to beat both Kerry and Christy in November.
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All I have to say about that is: “COWBOY UP!!!!!!!” & “Bring Uhm On”!!!!
And also, if you want to help the new ticket, I’m sure we (Deval campaign people) can hook you up with the right contact to make that happen.
As much as i would like not to be found for a couple of days, I know how important this election is and how little time we have to mop the floor with Muffy. I plan on working and I am waiting to see how long it takes the Victory 06 people to find me.
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They really are screwing up royally. They are badgering the pre-primary Deval people and ignoring the others.
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Maybe Kerry Healey is right about one thing. Phil should go!!!
Don’t get me going on Phil, there’s not enough time in the day…
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I guess what I meant is that rather than waiting for Vic06 to catch up with you, what I would suggest is getting in contact with the Patrick field people when you’re ready to get back to work. My reasoning is that I can virtually guarantee your introduction to our ranks will be much smoother and better if you do it through the campaign directly. Here’s a link to find your local coordinator.
John Walsh says its under control, and right now I think we have to believe him. I heard from someone at HQ that there’s currently a big reorganization going on to consolidate the two groups, and that will be finished by Monday. So hopefully early next week you’ll start hearing!
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I do agree, though, that you should have been contacted on Wednesday, or, if they decided to let people cool off a bit, no later than yesterday.
Doing a mash-up of V’06 and “primary winner” would be complicated under the best of circumstances. I have full confidence in the folks at DLP HQ. Like you said, I’m sure we’ll have our marching orders by Monday.
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I know we don’t have a lot of time, but I think that if my candidate hadn’t prevailed that I would appreciate some time to regroup. I won’t speak for all DLP coordinators, but I have been making overtures to Reilly and Gabrieli supporters though surrogates. I don’t think they are ready to talk to me just yet and I respect that.
Sorry, and I don’t mean to speak for anyone else out here in the sticks, but this doesn’t really mean anything to me:
I gather from all the other posters who have jumped into this thread that they understand the code, but I wouldn’t mind having this explained in plain English.
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If part of our goal (as I hope) is to engage people who have never participated in electoral politics before, I think we need to speak the language of the street. I don’t mean this in a demeaning way; I’m just a little frustrated at not understanding what this means.