There are, of course, way more stories about last night’s astounding election in the Globe, the Herald, and the national press than any sane person could read this morning. Here are just a few items that struck me.
- If you read only one article in full today, read this one. The Globe’s Frank Phillips did a very nice job outlining some of the key points in the race when Deval Patrick could have, and should have according to “conventional wisdom,” mounted a string of hard-hitting personal attacks on Kerry Healey — taking on, for example, the famous Sean Healey-AMG tax break. But he didn’t, trusting instead that the bond he had built over many months with his supporters would withstand the mud being slung his way.
Democratic Party leaders’ advice to Patrick was blunt: Respond in kind or face defeat. Those urging him to attack Healey included former governor Michael S. Dukakis and US Senator John F. Kerry, who saw their presidential hopes collapse when they failed to fight back. One party leader suggested Patrick air an attack ad taking aim at a state tax break Healey’s husband received.
But Patrick would not budge. He told party leaders he was confident he could withstand Healey’s attacks because he had established an unusual bond with voters, in part by eschewing such tactics. If he tampered with that relationship, it would destroy his candidacy.
His gamble paid off. Healey’s ads backfired and his lead over his GOP rival rebounded. Her unfavorable rating shot up 10 percentage points to more than 50 percent, a death knell for any candidate.
“It was one of the most amazing things I have seen in politics,” said Philip W. Johnston, state Democratic Party chairman. “I would even say it was an act of singular political bravery such as I have not witnessed.”
- This Globe story has the first hints of who might be heading up Deval Patrick’s transition team.
Patrick plans to name a transition team later this week that includes former attorney general Scott Harshbarger, former senior Weld administration official Gloria Larson, and Charlotte Golar Richie, a former state representative and top aide to Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston, said a senior campaign official. The three names signal Patrick’s intention to tap a broad-based group of leaders and policy specialists as he looks to build the first Democratic administration in Massachusetts in 16 years….
Some Patrick campaign aides being considered for administration posts when Patrick takes office, according to the campaign official, include Golar Richie; Suzanne Bump, a lawyer and former state representative; Ron Bell, a deputy campaign manager and voting activist; and Lily Mendez-Morgan, a deputy campaign manager who runs a fund for minority and low-income communities.
A respectable, if not exactly inspiring, start. I hope he goes considerably farther than that over the next few weeks. This guy — as he has said repeatedly on the campaign trail — has worked in the highest levels of government and business in the United States. He has an extraordinary network of contacts, and an extraordinary pool of talent, upon which to draw. I’m looking forward to hearing the names that have never held public office in Massachusetts (unlike the first three mentioned in the Globe article), and maybe even the names of people who don’t live here but who are excited enough about a Patrick administration to move here. From that same article:
“Deval has said he’ll take a fresh look at everything and look at the best ideas, no matter where they come from,” said Doug Rubin, a Patrick adviser. “He’s going to be very aggressive in trying to make the change he thinks is needed on Beacon Hill.”
Let’s underscore that “very aggressive” thing.
- The Herald’s Peter Gelzinis also talked about the transition from candidate to Governor:
Patrick has relied on hope, and an awesome ground game, to guide him to this moment. From now on, it will be all about delivering on those promises. The days of poetry are over. Governor Patrick must now become a plumber, forging connections between the government on the hill and the people in the street.
Well, yes and no. The plumber thing is right — Patrick must now prepare to immerse himself in the details of governing. But the “days of poetry are over” thing is wrong, at least in the broader sense. Everyone recognizes that Patrick’s extraordinary victory stems from his ability to inspire thousands and thousands of “ordinary people” to involve themselves in politics in a way that hasn’t happened here in a long time. His ability to effect the kind of positive change that he wants will depend in part on his keeping those people engaged in the process — they, after all, are the source of his mandate. Gelzinis actually knows this, as he says that Patrick must “forg[e] connections between the government on the hill and the people in the street.” Patrick’s “poetry” — which I would recharacterize as his ability to connect with people and to get them to care deeply about politics again — will continue to play an important role in that.
- Howie Carr, in an otherwise pointless column that hilariously ascribes Patrick’s victory to MA’s “problem about electing women as governor,” does offer this spot-on zinger at not-soon-enough-to-be ex-Gov. Romney:
And then there was Mitt Romney. Wasnt that nice of him to show up last night and take a few bows? Kerrys served with very little limelight, Mitt said, without a trace of irony, as if it wasnt his fault. What was Mitt even doing there? As Fat Tony Ciulla used to say, you never showed up at my wedding, why would you come to my funeral?
Did I miss any of your favorite stories?
Why are all the media sources only talking about Iraq as the deciding issue? I think the GOP kept Iraq in the debate because they believed their scare commercials would work again. The truth is that what happened back at home in this country is in a lot of ways a bigger and more important issue. Democrats need to quit letting the Republicans frame the debates and create the issues that America votes on. Lets make sure that during the next presidential race Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast, and New Orleans get discussed! It is good for us but it is especially good for Democrats across the country. Lets frame the Debate. And lets be honest. Last nights win was the result of inappropriate and insensitive Jokes.
<
p> http://jot.communica…
<
p>
A lot of this turn around is because of insensitive Jokes:
<
p>
During Bush’s first visit to the disaster area, he made inappropriate jokes about how he knew New Orleans during his party days all too well and joked that he hoped to visit Republican Senator Trent Lott’s new house upon hearing that his beachfront estate was destroyed. In a fateful comment, Bush told his hapless FEMA director Michael Brown on camera: “You are doing a heck of a job, Brownie.” Bush’s first visit to the area kept him away from New Orleans and isolated from angry people who would confront him. His visit to the heavily damaged city of Biloxi, Mississippi was preceded by a team that cleared rubble and corpses from the route that the president would take, leaving the rest of the city in ruin. The same day, in an interview with Diane Sawyer, Bush remarked, “I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees” at a time when the media had circulated copious reports of previous warnings by scientists, journalists, and government officials concerning dangers of the levees breaching and catastrophic flooding in the city of New Orleans, much of which was dangerously below sea level.
<
p>
Brown himself appeared eager to answer these questions, evidently angered at having been abandoned and thrown to the wolves by his former patrons in the White House.
<
p>
In his testimony, Brown said that as early as 10 a.m. on August 29four hours after the hurricane hit groundhe first learned that the levees surrounding New Orleans had been breached, and that this had caused severe flooding in parts of the city. This information came from Marty Bahamonde, a public affairs officer for FEMA and the only FEMA official in New Orleans at the time.
<
p>
Brown told the Senate committee that he put a call in and spoke toI believe it was Deputy Chief of Staff Haginon at least two occasions on that day to inform him of what was going on. He said he may also have spoken to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.
<
p>
Since Hagin was with Bush in Texas at the time, talking to Hagin was like speaking to the President, Brown said. I think I told [Hagin] that we were realizing our worst nightmare, that everything we had planned about, worried about, that FEMA, frankly, had worried about for 10 years, was coming true, he testified.
<
p>
When do think Bush is going to appologize?
What a jerk. The speech was basically a role out of what he will say he did in Massachusetts when he runs for President rather than a speech about Healey and her accomplishments. I’m not a fan of Healey’s but it was her night last night and he should have highlighted her accomplishments and contributions (limited as they are) rather than focusing on himself.
Romney was a jerk when he muscled acting governor, Jane Swift aside after he said that he wouldn’t run against an incumbent Republican. He then pushed aside Jim Rappaport in the Lt Governor’s race and installed Scott Healy’s wife, Kerry as his running mate. Looking at them in joint appearances then, and now, it looks like she was chosen for her physical appearance and how she matches up with Romney in photo-ops. They could be the political bride and groom on an election wedding cake. People were so blinded by the ‘Hero of the Salt Lake City Olympics’ glow that they ignored the warning signs about Romney, and elected him. His behavior since then has been one of national Republican snideness, and non-stop campaigning for president.
<
p>
It doesn’t say much for the state Republican party that Kerry Healy was the best they could do for a candidate for governor. Her performance, if not the final result, shows how mediocre she was. The party, such as it is, has to work to build a farm team of candidates to start running in local races, then build up to legislative races, in the hopes of finding a roster of potential candidates for the constitutional offices. The cannon fodder chosen by Romney in his big show for the last election was overwhelmingly not ready for prime time. Simply putting nominal candidates up for election doesn’t, and didn’t do it, as the results of that election proved.
skimming through that column you linked, I rather liked this section:
<
p>
<
p>
Proof that money alone cannot win elections. I like the the Patrick campaign spent total less than whay Healey spent personally.
<
p>
<
p>
“You are the homeless man who figured out how to register and vote without an address, because he didn’t want to be left out again”
<
p>
That is what I love about our campaign has been about and is about going forward. Looking forward to what shape community.devalpatrick.com takes as we transition to an administration.
…is his campaign ‘spending’.
<
p>
Kerry Healey had her own name, and her own dime, on ALL her ads. In consequence of which, it is used against her.
<
p>
Think back over the TV and radio ads of the last few weeks. HOW MANY ads for Deval? But since the teacher and nurses unions paid for them (bye, bye, charter schools! Hello, safe staffing!) they don’t count in his total. His little guy persona is preserved by 527’s.
<
p>
BTW…
<
p>
<
p>
I heard this while broadcasting from my undisclosed location, and even the Dem analyst said – Jeez, that isn’t LEGAL, let alone something to brag about…
…a sore loser.
Always the refuge of the sore loser — like Tim O’Brien.
<
p>
I don’t watch that much TV, so I may not be the best judge. But this idea that the “Patriot Majority Fund” (whoever they are) and the teacher’s unions were blanketing the airwaves with attack ads so that Patrick didn’t have to just doesn’t ring true to me. Were they running them on the Home Shopping Network or something? I hardly saw any of them.
<
p>
As for Healey’s deciding to put her own money behind the garage ad, that was her choice. And it was a poor one. She could’ve, and should’ve, had the guts to tell her strategists “no.”
<
p>
Re homeless people, John Bonifaz, the LWV, and the City of Cambridge say you’re wrong (and that’s just one quick Google search). Are you so sure you’re right?
But didn’t the Republican Governor’s Association cut at least two different ads on behalf of Kerry Healey? Why is that OK, but the MTA and the Patriot Majority ads are different?
<
p>
By the way, the Patriot Majority ads that I saw aired before Patrick’s lead shrank. How could they explain his bounce back? The timing is completely wrong, and it strikes me as the excuse-making of Healey’s advisors.
Apparently not:
<
p>
If it’s not legal for the homeless to vote, then something is seriously wrong with voting rights in this state and country.
<
p>
The 527 issue became a joke when Kerry Healey tried to accuse her slipping in the polls on the “negative attack ads” the MTA were running, when they actually were just critisizing her administration’s record instead of personally attacking the candidate like most of Healey’s ads were doing.
It used to be illegal for people who didn’t own property to vote. There seems to be some yearning for the “good old days.”
<
p> – Dan
There was a very telling article on the detritus of the Mass. GOP. It was mostly a bunch of Republicans expressing their hope that things will get even worse so they can get some traction again. But then there was Mr. “I’m Not Romney”:
I think the last sentence nicely sums up the message of the Massachusetts Republican Party.
<
p> – Dan
who endorsed Healey threw this bone to Deval’s win:
<
p>
Editorial
<
p>
Some ‘highlights’
and
<
p>
Merely for the record, I work for MassLive, the online home of the Republican newspaper. We have separate editorial staffs.
They’re not bitter.
All along the campaign, Kerry Healey pressed the alleged evils of a one-party government on Beacon Hill.
<
p>
However, in addition to losing the corner office, Republicans also net lost THREE more state legislative seats!
<
p>
Despite their already dwindling numbers, the state GOP lost one state senate seat (retiring Senator Lees seat went to Democratic state Rep Gale Candaras) and two state representative seats (retiring Shirley Gomes replaced by Democrat Sarah Peake and Democrat Thomas Conroy beating incumbent Republican Sue Pope).
<
p>
This dramatically undermines Healey’s commentary on divided government. There were around 10 or so Democratic state legislative retirements – all were held by Dems.
<
p>
If MA voters were really thirsting for nominally divided government, you’d think at least one Democratic incumbent might lose, but none did, very similar to 2004’s state legislative results.
to be replaced instead by a moderate Democrat instead of a conservative Democrat….
We hear all the time that Republicans will manage our money more effectively. After yesterdays Globe story on the record cost of this race I wondered how the candidates did on getting the most for what they spent. While this is an admittedly flawed indicator and in no way reveals whether a candidate will spend your tax dollars foolishly it does reveal something about who knows how to get the most for their buck. Using the Globes spening estimates and results from this morning I came up with this.
<
p>
Patrick $6.89 per vote
Healey $17.44 per vote
Mihos $26.27 per vote
Ross $.33 Per vote
<
p>
It certainly runs counter to what we are lead to believe about who is the best money manager.
Hey! Is THAT how we keep all them promises?
Are you seriously claiming that Patrick directed or encouraged the 527 groups? Because if you have some evidence of that, you might want to bring it up with law enforcement and/or electoral regulators. If you don’t, on the other hand, you might want to stop making unfounded accusations that the Patrick campaign broke the law.