I promised lots (and lots) of reasons; here are six:
1. Ed O’Reilly has been criss-crossing the state talking to people in forums of all sizes. He understands working families and has been working hard to really listen and understand people’s concerns. It’s a shame, but it’s often true that unless there’s a contested election, our elected officials don’t get as much face time with the people they want to represent.
2. O’Reilly brings a progressive agenda that’s often lacking from Senator Kerry, and he’s shown a real willingness to stake out risky positions. It’s good for the Democratic party in general to show the unenrolled (“independent”) voters that there’s diversity within our party. You don’t have to be a Kerry-Democrat to be a Democrat.
3. He’s a straight talker, in spite of his background as a lawyer, and agree or disagree, he doesn’t mask his positions on issues.
4. Agree or disagree with O’Reilly, you can see how he’d bring a fresh perspective and new energy to the primary race for Senate, and if you’ve ever met him, you know he’ll increase the press visibility for both candidates.
5. Even Kerry supporters should consider voting for O’Reilly at the convention. It wouldn’t hurt Kerry to get into some debates and gain publicity during the primary, in preparation for the general election.
6. Last, but certainly not least, the only way to have a democracy that engages voters is to offer them choices. Far too many elections are uncontested. Let’s change that.
I hope Democrats will take a moment to find out how to attend their local caucus, and then come down to vote, or even become a delegate themselves.
Please use the comments to discuss the merits of having O’Reilly as a challenger, or having primary challengers in general.
Mike, would you mind going over the convention process?
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p>Does a candidate need a certain # of delegates to appear on the balllot?
A candidate needs the vote of 15% of the delegates present to appear on a statewide ballot. You may remember 2006 where there was much hand-wringing over whether Chris Gabrieli would get 15% or be knocked out at the convention. In the end he just cleared the bar.
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p>I’ve heard rumors that O’Reilly and Kerry are both organizing for the caucuses, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that locally…
…they’re probably only organizing in the big suburban and urban areas (I didn’t see any caucus organization in my neck of the woods by anyone in 2006). If a campaign could get 15 people into each town caucus in much of SE Mass, they’d control the votes.
In 2006 Reilly didn’t organize anywhere– remember how his own daughter got shut out of the Watertown caucus? Gabrieli wasn’t in the race at that point- he got into the convention by some sketchy interpretations of the DSC by-laws. Patrick was organized in some SE Mass towns; Terry Murray’s Tom Reilly slate was stomped down in Plymouth, for example. In other towns in Plymouth County, having John Walsh behind Patrick was enough to persuade the regulars on more than a few Town Committees to commit to Deval.
Reilly’s people did do some organizing in some wards of Boston, Lowell, Springfield, etc, and where they did they often won. They even organized here in Watertown, but we just out-organized them.
Sco can attest to this, but I remember him saying at the time that they would have gladly made room for her on the slate so she could go to convention, just out of respect to the candidate and his family, if they had known on time who she was…unfortunately, it was too late by the time they found out.
Here’s an email I got from the Ed O’Reilly campaign:
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p>Good Morning,
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p>With the Caucuses being held in two weeks, we have scheduled an
organizational meeting at 11 a.m.–this Saturday (19th) at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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p>We will be meeting at the Newton Corner Newton Elks.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yo7ks3
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p>The parking lot is immediately on the right if coming from the west. If
coming from the east, you must cross over the turnpike (straight ahead and
take a left after the Sheraton and it’s on your right immediately after
crossing over the pike). There is a municipal parking lot behind the
building.
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p>I look forward to seeing everyone!
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p>Thank you.
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p>Ed
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p>www.edoreilly.com
Here’s the short version:
First of all, this is fun, but not random. It’s a democratic process that favors people who organize and are connected to other people.
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p>Ever town has a caucus between Feb 2nd and Feb 10th, and if you’re a Dem, you can show up and run as a delegate to go to the state convention. Bring friends and family to vote for you. They don’t have to have an opinion on Ed O’Reilly, they just have to do this as a personal favor to you.
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p>If you win, you’re committing to go to the state convention, in Lowell, which costs $75. In some towns, the town committee will pay the fee. There’s always a way to get help with it if you need it.
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p>Official caucus info is here, including the when and where:
http://massdems.org/caucus/c_r…
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p>Please recommend this post so we can get more people involved.
<
p>Now, more details:
The number of delegates they elect is based on the town population, but half will be men, half women. They’ll also elect one alternate of each gender.
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p>Anyone who was registered as a Democrat by Dec. 31st last year can attend and vote. There is no fee.
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p>When the caucus is called to order, there will be a nomination period, then speeches, then voting.
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p>During nomination, each person has to be nominated individually. They can’t nominate “everyone on the Kerry team”. You can nominate yourself, and someone has to second the nomination. Pay attention and try to get your nomination in early. This probably won’t be competitive, but sometimes someone will make a motion to close the nominations before you get yours in.
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p>Each candidate can make a 2 minute speech and distribute literature. The speech period can be waived by a 2/3 vote. Prepare a speech. It could be as simple as “I want to be a more involved Democrat and see what happens at the State Convention” or something like “If you don’t vote for me, it’s proof that you support George Bush”.
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p>Generally, the speeches don’t get you elected. The people attending already know each other and the caucus process, they’re probably going to vote for people that have previously been involved. Demonstrate your involvement by bringing lots of friends and family who will vote for you.
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p>Voting has to be done by secret ballot unless the candidates are unopposed.
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p>Slates:
When you build a slate, or organize to support a candidate, you basically make a list of people that you want to get elected, and they promise to vote for each other, and only for each other. They bring their friends who also promise to vote for the slate, and only for the slate.
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p>Let’s say there are 5 of you, and you bring 6 people each. If you run alone, you each get 7 votes, and you lose. But if you run as a slate, you each get 35 votes, and you all win.
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p>Print copies of your slate, perhaps give it a mission “Competitive primaries”, and distribute it. Appoint one person to take roll as people arrive.
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p>Contact your candidate, or DFA, or PDA, or some local group to see if they know anybody who’s organizing for the caucus.
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p>I hope this helps and that I didn’t get anything wrong. Please reply with questions and corrections.
If I Humble Elias Nugator challenge Deval Patrick for the Democratic Gubernatorial nomination in 2010..I can count on everyone principled supportfor my claim to a space on the primary ballot…right?
The 15% threshold is there by design, so that those who are particularly engaged with the Dem party [engaged enough to show up at a caucus, be elected, shell out $75, travel out of the Boston area to wherever it is this year, and hang out for two days eating crappy overpriced lunches] can filter out crackpots, loons, DINOs, and assorted other jerk offs.
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p>Does E O’R fit in any of those categories. Dunno. I expect that I’ll be at the convention, and I’m willing to throw him my vote if he shows that he isn’t.
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p>I can tell you that I’m not impressed with his claiming that Kerry is against local renewable energy based on “No specific statement or position on publicly-owned renewable energy,” given that Kerry has been pushing for renewable energy funding in the energy bill is more than a bit disingenuous. Furthermore, claiming Kerry is against “Fair Taxes” because he’s not making a campaign issue out of the hedge fund manager taxation scheme [and, in fact, favors phasing it out over 10 years instead of immediately] is not exactly compelling or honest.
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p>As for gay marriage, it’s worth noting that while Kerry hasn’t fought to require gay marriage rights in all 50 states, he has fought against restricting states from allowing gay marriage. Again, it’s just not as simple as “yes” and “no”.
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p>
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p>So, for me, E O’R is squarely in the FUD category. He’d better be more transparent if he wants my vote.
File under moron.
I remember during the presidential campaign Kerry opposing the federal marriage ban but supporting the amendment in Massachusetts, managing to both alienate homophobes in swing states and progressives at home. I don’t really know about since then, but that seemed a pretty dumb compromise.
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p>On the other stuff I think you’re right: they’re minor differences up next to the former presidential nominee. I think O’Reilly was hoping to run the primary challenge that should have been run in 2002 (the campaign John Bonifaz almost ran) and would have been useful to have a debate on Iraq, but since then and his experience running for president, John Kerry has become a much more agressive leader on progressive issues, and Ed O’Reilly seems to be grasping at straws.
due BEFORE the convention…anyone who can collect that many signatures should be on the ballot. Remember poor Dr. Sam Whatshisname (how quickly we forget) who did not get the signatures and therefore even after campaigning for months and months did not go before the Dem. Convention for Lt. Gov last time out?
First, I’ve heard Ed speak at several functions and have come away very unimpressed. His elective credentials are questionable.
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p>Second, Ed supported the SwiftBoaters in remarks he made to the Globe and Daily Kos some months back. He tried to gloss over them then. At the time, I stated why make the comments in the first place if you want to talk issues.
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p>I believe in offering delegates a choice, but in this instance, why waste the vote on E O’R. I’ve called for him to pull out of the race and will continue to do so. He is not a viable candidate.
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p>We need to concentrate on the possible Repub opponent, Ogonowski.
-Bladerunner
In my opinion, Ed O’Reilly offers up more progressive positions to issues, and less cautious triangulating, than John Kerry. He also really steps in it sometime.
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p>Having a primary contest can make us stronger for the general election, for reasons I outlined above. It’s a vote to have a public discussion about the issues.
But when I look at their platforms, O’Reilly has a lot of the ideas that befit a Massachusetts Senator, that the frontrunner doesn’t have.
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p>He’s kind of the Bill Richardson of Massachusetts (without the experience).
No idea how my new ward will shake out in a presidential year in terms of attendance, as I just moved here, but I’m going, and I know two other prominent bloggerheads that are in my ward and are going too.
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p>If I get in to convention, I expect I’ll vote for O’Reilly. I’m not 100% sure who I will vote for, but I loves me a competitive primary, and I’ve met Ed several times. He’s intense, but intelligent and likable, and I think he deserves a shot to get on the ballot.
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p>If I don’t get into convention, I’ll be happy too, I almost prefer to get in with media creds if they’re handing them out again to bloggers…you get your own little room with the big media boys and get fed, or at least, that’s how it worked before. 🙂
“I’m not 100% sure who I will vote for” – I mean, in the actual primary election.
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p>I do lean O’Reilly as of right now, though I think some of the things I’ve seen from his campaign are a little too aggressive – I’m as annoyed by Kerry and his type in the Senate as the next guy but he’s not totally evil all of the time.
<
p>It would Kerry a LOT of good to get out of Washington DC and come back and debate in a primary, for sure.
“I loves me a competitive primary.” How entertaining that will be.
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p>This entertainment has significant opportunity costs. There are certainly primaries this cycle to care about, but Ed O’Reilly, whom I don’t fully trust after a number of discussions with him and his supporters on this forum, is not worth those opportunity costs.
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p>Remind me again why O’Reilly’s work ethic is so good but he resigned from the school committee?
I have read through this thread and I am encouraged that we are entering a new phase of this primary where we keep the issues and the tone of the conversations positive and focused on health care, the War in Iraq, the economy, tax fairness, and promoting not for profit renewable energy to end our reliance on fossil fuels–both domestic and foreign.
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p>I am running as a Massachusetts Democrat and all of my positions are in line with the Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. I am a worker and a fighter.
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p>To set the record straight, I was elected to the Gloucester School Committee and served out my entire term. The members of the School Committee elected me as Chairman at the beginning of the term and I was honored by their confidence in my abilities.
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p>At the time I was Chairman, we brought non-adversarial bargaining to labor negotiations. We attended workshops and began to look at negotiations in a different way.
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p>Once bargaining began, School Committee members and teachers sat together rather than across from each other. We worked for one common goal–the best interests of the students.
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p>I formed new and lasting relationships with people like Joe Murphy from the MTA, Cliff Brooks, the President of the Gloucester Teachers’ Union as well as the Union Bargaining team members. We worked together and we came up with a fair contract for all of the teachers and other school personnel. It may have helped that about 15 years earlier, I had been a member of the Firefighters’ Union Bargaining Team.
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p>At some point, well into my term and working 65 hours per week as a trial attorney, I came to the realization that I could not devote the time necessary to being Chairman. I only stepped down as Chairman. I continued to fulfill all of my obligations and commitments as a member of the Committee.
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p>Anyone who has served as President of a City Council or Chairman of any Committee, knows the amount of time that goes into phone calls, meetings, etc. The Chair is really the clearing house for all of the members. I was volunteering as much personal time as I could to building a better community and helping our kids.
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p>I have now given up my law practice and am devoting full time to running for the privilege to represent the people of Massachusetts in the United States Senate. I continue to crisscross the Commonwealth and listen to the concerns of the people of Massachusetts.
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p>I am also clear in my positions. I am in favor of a single payer health care system, I believe in Marriage Equality, I am in favor of the complete withdrawal of our troops from Iraq and I believe in Not for Profit Local Renewable Energy Projects.
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p>I look forward to working positively and honing the message of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
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p>Ed O’Reilly
Sorry-My website is Ed O’Reilly
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p>Thank you.
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p>Ed O’Reilly