Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

A fundraising challenge for Patrick McCabe

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I attended Tuesday night’s organizational kickoff for Patrick McCabe‘s state rep campaign for the 35th Middlesex (Medford and Malden) district.  The turnout was fantastic — far greater than had been expected.  And the excitement about the campaign was palpable.  He gave a terrific speech, and he’s going to be a formidable candidate.

McCabe, if you haven’t heard, is challenging the anti-equality, anti-marriage Paul Donato in next year’s Democratic primary.  From his bio:

Patrick McCabe was born in Somerville to a working-class family and has spent most of his life in the area (his grandparents lived in Medford). Patrick and his wife, Amy-Jayne, his 5 year old son, Braeden, and his 2 year old daughter, Madeline Rose now make Medford their home.

Hard-working and a natural leader, Patrick attended the West Point Military Academy and later served seven years in the Army — as a ranger, then as a company commander assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Kosovo.

After leading peace-keeping efforts in Bosnia, Patrick went on tour with his wife, a professional singer, for a couple of years to entertain the troops. He returned to Medford and is now the Organizing and Communications Director for SEIU local 1984. In this role, he spends his entire day encouraging people to stand up for their rights and for the rights of others. 

But of course, as terrific a candidate as he is, McCabe needs money to make this work.  That’s where all of us come in.  So here’s a little BMG challenge:

I will personally match every contribution to the McCabe campaign from anyone reading this post, until I’m maxed out at $500.

Since I can’t track who reads this post and then donates, you’ll have to let me know that you’ve contributed, and how much.  Either drop it in the comments (if you post under your real name), or send me an email (if you prefer not to reveal your secret identity publicly).  Let’s see how quickly we can raise a bunch of cash for this exciting, progressive campaign.  And let’s show some netroots muscle.

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Comments

  1. as I’m a big fan of progressives challenging other Dems in primaries, for a variety of reasons.

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    But I can’t give to Mr. McCabe.  Not without some clear policy positions on environmental issues.  I don’t want just fluff either.  Name me some specific proposals to deal with:  * Global warming  * Local air quality  * Litter  * Public park land  * Farming within the Commonwealth

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    Without that, I just can’t pull out my charge card, or yours.

    • McCabe told the crowd that he supports the governor’s municipal parternship act. He also supports the plan to extend Green Line service to West Medford, but wants the developers to consiter moving the parking garage or modifying their plans to protect an enviromentally sensitive wetland area nearby.

      • Green Line Extention to West Medford is a Mistake. End of the line means out walk  bums and addicts. In addition, Medford has huge heroin problem.  Now others can take the T. to purchase. Good for business. Checkout Malden Square. Little pockets of it are havens for homeless and derelicts.
        Same can and most likely will in West Medford Square. Then increased law enforcement will occur which will mean accidentally harassing black guys from one of the country’s oldest black middle class neighborhoods.

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        Why, so the young professionals can get in town more conveniently than currently busing it to Wellington or taking the purple line. These same young professionals who will be moving to real suburbs in a couple of years to be replaced by the next crop. (Not you charley. You?re staying I bet.)

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        This proposal sucks for West Medford.

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        But it is good to send it to Tufts.

        • I grew up about a quarter mile from the other terminus of the Green line, in Newton. I can assure you, T service has brought no “bums and addicts” there.

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          Your argument that subway service will bring the waiting hordes of ‘undesireables’ from Boston’s ghettos to the suburbs is totally unsupported by fact. In fact, if you ask the locals you will hear that Malden Center has gotten quite a bit nicer since the Orange line was rerouted there about 20 years back. There are new highrise appartments sprouting up, businesses in the area are doing well, and the old Boston & Maine railroad station is now a popular restaraunt. Property values around the T stations have gone up much faster than the city as a whole.

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          Malden is a more desireable place for businesses and residents to make their home because of subway service. Green Line service in Medford would do the same.

          • West Medford residents are strongly opposed to the Green Line extending all the way to West Medford Center.

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            West Medford isn’t Malden Center and trying to claim that the two are somehow connected is ridiculous. Malden Center may be better now than it was 20 years ago because of the Orange Line but the fact is that there was nowhere to go but up. Even now Malden Center is a ghost town at night and maybe I’m wrong but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people trying to move into the area.

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            In contrast, people want to live in West Medford right now and not because the Green Line may be there in 10 years. West Medford already has a commuter rail stop- about 10 minutes to North Station. The housing market is strong, businesses are doing well and the residents are happy. What benefits does the Green Line Extension then hold for the residents of West Medford (and not the residents of Arlington and Winchester who have fought against plans to extend the T to their own communities)? I can’t think of any.

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            What West Medford will end up with is (1) a dangerous intersection within a few hundred yards of two schools (2) years of construction chaos on Rt. 60 (3) major traffic/ parking problems in a dense residential/business area

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            But other than that, it sounds awesome!

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            The Green Line should stop around Tufts. End of story.

    • They’ve been getting a lot of organizational stuff off the ground, so there isn’t much to look at policy-position-wise on the website.  Don’t worry — it’ll be along.

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      How ’bout a little down payment?  đŸ˜‰

  3. I was at the event, and I share David’s enthusiasm for this campaign.
    Much of the original energy came from the same-sex marriage issue; however, it is clear to all of us who have gotten to know Patrick McCabe that this is about much more than that. His primary themes are leadership, inclusion, and transparency. And anyone who has heard him talk knows that this isn’t sloganeering. He regrets, as we all do, the lack of true leadership in politics, the kind that engages people in a real dialog about the issues confronting all of us rather than merely observing trends and polls to obtain political advantage. As he says, it is a failure of leadership if there is apathy and low levels of participation among the citizens.
    The details of this progressive’s positions (on the environment, health care etc.) are there and will be discussed and be more apparent in the weeks and months to follow. But in my opinion the more important point is that he has laid the groundwork of his campaign by clearly speaking to these essential values. The gathering last evening is evidence that many in this community are willing to continue the work of changing politics in this state.

  4. I say at least 60%. You can’t keep this enthusiasm up and may result in peaking too soon. I don’t like the move. Should be concentrating on one on one conversations and and building list. Keep them posted but way too early to ask them to come to event. More likely than not it was a great, and less frequent, get-to-together for many of the gay marriage more active supporters in the area.

    • I think, though, that they are appropriately focused on door-knocking and other kinds of one-on-one conversations, as you say.  They’re under no illusions as to how tough it will be to knock off Donato — they know he’s spent years building up a lot of personal loyalty in that district, and that they will have a lot of work ahead to overcome that.  But I thought the kickoff was a good way to show that there is real interest in seeing a serious primary challenge go forward.

      • and door knocking way too early. And should be done bye him. He shouldn’t start that until feb/March. And hit every super voter personally more than once and touch with cards.
        This “they” crap is too much for a local reps fight. It is about him. Don’t let me here ‘they”.

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        Plus too soon to be actively campaigning. You can’t play the same new song constantly on the radio in hopes of it becoming No.1 in 15 months.

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        He shoud be personally reaching out. People expect to be able to meet their rep and have access to him IF they need him. He is not a congressman. It is working class position.
        The best thing his real friends can do is not let him believe all the bullshit people are telling him. He needs balance from the ass kissers.

        • by “they” I’m talking about the folks managing and advising his campaign, with whom I talked last night.  They all understand that it’s got to be McCabe himself hitting the pavement, and he’s committed to doing that.  They all know that Donato personally returns phone calls, etc., and they know that McCabe has got to show that he’s prepared to equal or exceed that kind of personal commitment.  And McCabe has been working for SEIU for years — he knows all about helping working class people.

    • You must have been out polling voters to come up with that 60% figure đŸ™‚

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      Anyway, you’ve posted a lot of assumptions here, and the insights you share are all pretty negative. Can the campaign look forward to your involvement? Would you at least consider attending the next event so you can draw more accurate conclusions?

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      Over 100 people were present and excited about finally having a progressive candidate they can enthusiastically support, and  I think we’re all prepared for a long and hard campaign. Many of the people I talked to were from the neighborhood or district and are motivated by many different issues. Most of the attendees were not even very active in the same-sex marriage debate.

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      I’m personally very excited that we have a great candidate like Patrick in the race, and thank David for his generous offer to match contributions. Please count me in for another $50.00, David (via PayPal).

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      Mike Silvia

      • You are giving him plenty of time to come up with one. Over 100 people is not great. Friends reaching way back, co-workwers, relatives, gay marriage advocates.
        As for the next event your candidate he has to show momentum. He could be a has been by Patriots Day.

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        If McCabe wins I will retire from Blogging. (unless Donato retires first)

        • In my opinion, over 100 people at a house (not function hall) party on an unbearably HOT Tuesday night in June for a race that is 15 months away is nothing less than phenomenal.

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          Count me in for $50.

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          Dale Morrow

          • You can get more than that for a First Communion Party. Just don’t have one every month. Or every year for that matter.
            I am not impressed Dale from Medford.
            BTW Dale, are you really from Medford or are you from someplace else and just happen to live in Medford at the present time?

            • Hilarious, “Ernie”: Everyone’s favorite BMG pseudonymous poster calling folks out — falsely — for being sock puppets.

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              I just hope everyone understands that “Ernie” has no serious intent here other than to stir stuff up. No point in being offended by his clowning.

          • Describe for me please the perfect straw that would benefit McCabe? I would like to hear it.

        • if I understand you correctly. Another Dem candidate would in my opinion almost assure Donato a win.

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          Ernie, you present an amazing combination of prescient observation and tomfoolery (been looking to use that in a sentence).

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          What did McCabe do to you? You would think he held his fund raiser at the Hatch shell and closed down the right lane of Storrow drive.

          • But someone needs to play devil’s advocate as this new rock star is created in the “progressives'” minds.

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            The former rep. from Somerville was very weak when he was beat. And it took the new guy 2 shots at him. Donato is not weak. he just pissed the progressives off. It is not enough. He had selivered for his district. 

            • It didn’t take the new guy 2 shots at him.  The new guy, State Representative Carl Sciortino beat Vinny Ciampa in the Democratic Primary and became the nominee of the Democratic Party.  That is 1 shot.

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              Plus not very many people thought that Ciampa was weak until around 8:30 pm on Primary election night when he lost.  Sure then people jumped on the “oh Vinny was weak” bandwagon, but prior to that, most people were saying that Sciortino didn’t have a chance.  That is except the inner circle of the Sciortino campaign who had been out on the street with voters for months.  Ciampa barely even bothered to campaign for the primary.

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              Then Vinny Ciampa decided to go against the nominee of his own party in the general election as a write in candidate and lost again, this time by a very very large margin. The was Vinny taking a shot at Carl, not Carl taking a second shot at Vinny.

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              Donato may or may not be weak.  I guess we’ll find out.  But don’t count out McCabe yet Mr. Boch.  I live over the hill from Medford and I hear a lot of rumbling over there.  Change may come.  It’s building.

  6. Another supporter (chooses to remain anonymous) has contacted the campaign and pledged to match $250 in additional contributions after David’s $500 limit has been reached.

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    If you’re a McCabe supporter, please take advantage of these very generous offers. This is an opportunity to raise a total of $1500 for the campaign. Thanks!

  7. For a reps seat?

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    That’s a serious accomplishment. I doubt you’d find too many state rep kickoff parties for a first-time candidate getting anywhere close to that.

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    I don’t have any doubt that laying the groundwork 15 months out is a good plan on McCabe’s part. It gives him a chance to knock every door in the district multiple times, and can build a strong grassroots volunteer corps. But if he’s hiring campaign staff for the next 15 months, that’s a pretty hefty task. That would be my only concern about starting this early. If that’s the case, he’s got guts, and all the more reason to help him out.

  8. But he removed his name from S321 and argued with other leges against this anti-gay, anti-education bill.  Both Reps Ross (R) and Driscoll have refused to take their names off of S321 and were “pro” equal marriage.

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    Rep. Ross told me that he cannot be expected to stand with us (meaning LGBT) on every issue and even after I explained that S321 would not allow discussion of even the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy without a parental permission slip, he said he understood and parents should have the right to be notified if classroom conversation were to mention “gays” in a non-sexual context.

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    So, what is fair is fair.  If Donato is to be criticized for his “anti-equality” stance then pro-equality leges should be criticized for their anti-education, anti-gay and “Marxist” stances.

    • Tom, what do you make of this part of the latest tirade from massresistance?: 

      Now we’ve found out that Reps. Donato, DiNatale, and Evangelitis are planning to “amend” the Parents Rights Bill to compromise with the demands of the homosexual activists! They’ve admitted this in communications with some of their constituents, but they so far won’t return our calls about it.

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      Have you heard from any other source that some of the legislators who removed their name from S321 might be trying to preserve it by modifying it?

      • that “parts” of the bill S321 are okay.  I will call Donato et al today and see what else I can find out.  Remember S321 in its “purest” state was a reaction to the David Parker/King and King incident and the long-going Camenker/Fistgate issue.  I am assuming that the parts of the Parents Rights Bill that some see worth keeping are “sex-ed” issues which go outside of sex taken outside of sex-ed–again if the subject is human sexuality ie the human sex act then this law should apply to assemblies and after school functions as well.

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        But what I have heard from some of the leges aides is that they are very interested in keeping the “teacher can excuse him or herself if he or she has a personal religios conflict with the curriculum.”  Oy vey!  S 321 has many levels of nastiness, anti-gay sentiments aside and a great litmus test for these leges. 

      • This is an email that I received from Rep O’Flaherty regarding S 321.  Knowing all of the anti-gay language of the bill, O’Flaherty has his own agenda…

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        “Parents should be aware of any topics regarding sexuality being discussed in their children’s public school. If they choose to allow their children to be exposed to special-interest “health” educators then they should have to sign a consent form allowing it. This isn’t complicated.

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        I’m also aware of several parents in my district who are removing their children from public schools and placing them in Catholic schools at great financial cost because they’re concerned about outside special-interest groups indoctrinating their children with principles in opposition to their faith.

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        I’m hoping the more this issue is publicized and discussed the more parents will become aware of the subject matter being forced down the throats of young people and they will choose to remove them. This is maybe what our suffering Catholic schools need; an influx of new students driven out of public schools by individuals more concerned with “sensitivity” indoctrination than learning math and english.

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        Both you and Mass Family Institute are the extremities in this debate. I disagree with the both of you. But, parents should know what they’re children are being exposed to and should have the right to make a decision before their children are in fact exposed to it.”  signed “Gene”

  10. We need change here in Medford.  Patrick supports many of the issues that are important to me–beyond equal marriage and a woman’s right to choose what happens with her body.  As someone commented above, he is far from a one-issue candidate.

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    I can put in $25 now – hopefully more later.

  11. My husband and I definitely intend to contribute, but I haven’t yet had the discussion with him to pin down the dollar amount.  Perhaps you’ll already have your $500 by tomorrow, but if not, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get you there.

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