Wilkerson has long been confident to the point of being full of herself. A couple of weeks ago at the Wards 11 and 19 forum, she even said, “What we desperately need in this district is for you to elect more people to support me in what I do.” She doesn't need any self-esteem training.
As it became clear on primary night that she was being edged out, she told her supporters, “This proves you can become a representative of this district without representing its core, and that makes me feel sick.” Such plain racism is as divisive as it is illogical.
As a Latina, Chang-Díaz is not black enough to suit Wilkerson and may not initially present enough racial and cultural identity for some of the voters who have long supported Wilkerson. Yet, it's certainly as absurd to say that Chang-Díaz can't understand or achieve the goals of black voters than it would have been to say that Wilkerson couldn't do that for her many non-black constituents.
The question came up two days ago at the NNN show where I joined Wilkerson friend and fan, political strategist Joyce Ferriabough. Host Chris Lovett asked whether Chang-Díaz' victory would further polarize the district's Wilkerson supporters. I figured that it would short term, but that as the worried constituents found Sonia was in sync with them, they'd relax. Meanwhile, she has some visiting and listening to do.
(Caution: The link is to my self-absorbed musings. If you are truly in need of something to do, you can catch a clip of it here.)
Back to Bruce's observation, whether they're black, from Irish or Italian stock, Asian-American or Latino, voters shouldn't think that only someone who looks like them can think like them and work to solve their problems. Shouldn't…
In that ham-fisted article on Wilkerson's loss, Bay State Banner reporter Yawu Miller included a lot of race-based editorializing, including:
Chang-Diaz, who was born to a Latino father, seemed to focus more narrowly on a base of support in predominantly white precincts in Jamaica Plain, Back Bay and the South End.
Chang-Diaz’s victory brought an end to Wilkerson’s 15-year career in the Senate. It will be the first time in more than 25 years that a candidate of color has not prevailed in the Second Suffolk District.
Although Chang-Diaz claims white and Latino ancestry, Wilkerson’s black and Latino supporters seemed to view her loss as a setback to candidates of color — a theme Wilkerson echoed in the concession speech she delivered late Tuesday.
That would come as quite a surprise to Sonia to find that suddenly she was no longer of color. The article is certainly accurate in noting that Wilkerson drew the blacker-than-thou distinction. It was not only in her quasi-concession (she may yet do something dumb like a write-in campaign) speech.
At NNN, Ferriabough said several times that she had heard (as in hearsay) that some Chang-Díaz campaign workers played dirty pool. Specifically, she claimed that they claimed that Wilkerson was a convicted criminal, had not paid her taxes, and a list of insults. That each of her examples was accurate didn't seem to affect the argument, nor did her admission that she had only heard this from other Wilkerson supporters who had heard it from others.
Meanwhile, it seems okay to some that Wilkerson was comfortable playing race politics throughout the campaign. The idea that constituents won't have vigorous and attentive representation unless the Second Suffolk Senator is black is crazy talk.
In full answer to Lovett's question, we need to consider that Wilkerson has done her best to create divisions in the district. Had she won, I have no doubt that she would do nothing to heal those divides. For 16 years, division has been to her advantage.
Another dishonest campaign strategy has been to claim that Chang-Díaz has not made her positions known and has not been in the district's precincts, particularly the predominately black ones. At NNN, Ferriabough made the unsupported and unsupportable claim repeatedly that Chang-Díaz was “a blank slate.” In reality, she has widely publicized and described both her fully fleshed-out platform and her background as teacher, legislative and and so forth. Wilkerson's camp kept pushing the idea that voters don't know anything about her.
Likewise, in the Banner endorsement of Wilkerson, there was, “Two years ago, she faced a challenger who came close to scoring an upset victory, but since that time her opponent has essentially disappeared. She only emerges when it’s time to ask for the public’s vote. ” In reality, leading up to the 2006 vote and in the two years since, Chang-Díaz has been ubiquitous in the district. She in effect campaigned for the office for three years. Claims that she parachuted in for the current race are at best uninformed.
Unfortunately, the Wilkerson camp continues to live in an odd world. They apparently figured that the almost invincible power of incumbency to ensure re-election would hold, that endorsements from most of the commonwealth's top elected officials would wow voters, and that the huge campaign organization would deliver the voters like in the old ward-healer days. They were almost right.
It is a bit pathetic now to hear only blaming. Unfortunately, Wilkerson herself has the hallmark of failure to accept personal responsibility. Likewise, her apologists read from the identical script after the loss. Oh, if only polling places had stayed in the same location. Oh, if only the other side hadn't said anything about Wilkerson's misdeeds. Oh this…oh that.
Yet in the end, the worst is continuing to try to divide constituents and make them fearful through racial politics. Boston has had centuries of racial divides. It doesn't need retooled ones now. There is absolutely no reason to suppose that Chang-Díaz cannot do at least as good a job at listening to, understanding and attacking the big issues that affect Wilkerson's strongest supporters.
I contend that had Wilkerson both cleaned up her act and apologized for her violations of laws and regulations, she would have won re-election despite her scandals. Her repeated unwillingness to show that kind of honor and honesty was surely worth much more than the 228-vote margin of victory.
Sonia’s campaign was as clean as a political campaign gets – she could have lashed out at Wilkerson’s many misdeeds, but instead focused on the simple line that we don’t need to choose between smart progressive politics and politicians that respect the public trust. She, in fact, trusted the people to be able to make a decision and let them do it – instead of coming out with negative ads and attacks.
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p>Why Wilkerson is now trying to torpedo her first term by placing a wedge through the entire community is beyond me. If she truly cares about results for the community, that’s not the way to make it happen. That papers like the Bay State Banner would fuel the flames with an absolutely horrible article like the one they just wrote is beyond me – born to a latino father? Only the Banner would try to make a claim that she isn’t a true latino herself. Why even stoop to turn this race into a race about, well, race. It’s the worst kind of politics.
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p>Voters should know that Sonia Chang Diaz will represent everyone in tha district, fighting for everyone just as hard – black, white, latino, asian, gay or straight. ‘Nuff said.
Good points, Ry Guy. The city and state look to 2nd Suffolk as the most diverse district. We certainly shouldn’t exclude anyone by race from office. I don’t see any virtue at all in saying the Senator has to look like this precinct’s or that’s voters.
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p>You know that I can be optimistic about such things. This time, I can see Sonia swaying the neighborhood leaders with a combination of effectiveness, brains and charm. This all looks like a step up to me.
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p>Sour grapes can end up in the compost bin.
Glad you guys have the racial issue all straightened out.
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p>”For 16 years, division has been to her advantage.”
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p>Right. She’s so lucky to have inherited Boston’s awesome racial history.
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p>”Why Wilkerson is now trying…. That papers like the Bay State Banner would fuel the flames…..”
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p>Black people can be so frustrating sometimes. The way to win them over, for sure, is to lecture them that there is no representation issue on Beacon Hill.
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p>And let’s be sure never to mention again that the divisive Dianne Wilkerson put her base on the line for gay marriage.
The only person on BMG who has been fanning these flames, Cannon, is pretty much you. What race baiting has Sonia done? She’s a woman of color. For me to be essentially called out as racist by you is insulting, and would come as quite the shock to my many korean and african american cousins.
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p>Most of the politicians I’ve openly supported in this state have been minorities and women. I was very, very early on board with Deval Patrick’s campaign – when maybe 25% of the state even knew who the heck he was. Sonia is another example. Carl Sciortino another. The fact is, I can’t remember the last straight, white guy I’ve obsessively blogged about.
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p>Why you can’t accept the fact that Wilkerson lost because she was unethical and scandal-prone is beyond me, but the fact that you now choose to continue to stoke these racial flames, to me, clearly shows you aren’t interested in good politics on Beacon Hill. Because these kinds of tactics are the worst kind of politics and will only place a wedge in the community that could last for years. We don’t need that! Get over it!
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p>You know what, why don’t you go into the next two years with an open mind. Is that too much to ask for? If Sonia doesn’t effectively push for your issues, then organize a primary opponent. But, for the love of all that’s holy, keep an open mind until then? Okay?
Wouldn’t you agree, Cannoneo? Sonia might in fact do very well by her poorer constituents. An open mind is not too much to ask.
It was over as far as I was concerned until you guys decided to kick Dianne – and very expressly her black supporters – when she’s down, all over some very boilerplate post-defeat grumblings from her base.
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p>I expect Chang-Diaz to be an excellent rookie legislator. I’m sure she’ll do her best to reach well beyond her base and put her neediest constituents foremost.
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p>It’s the attitude of the Wilkerson-bashers and what it says about progressive politics that worries me. There was no racism. There was a total refusal to engage the issue of representation covered over by high-handed patronizing.
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p>Representation is about much more than the race/ethnicity of the sitting senator or the nominee.
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p>The fact is, in Dianne, the black community’s own power structure had a voice. She had to answer to it. Chang-Diaz doesn’t. She goes to bat for them at her own discretion. This diary makes that clear.
Mike was commenting on the fact that Dianne’s kept this thing going and ought to end it. That she wouldn’t tangibly concede, then say things like Sonia can’t represent the district’s “core” is employing similar tactics as you are. When asked if she’d run a sticker campaign or as an independent, Jeff Ross, a campaign spokesman, said “the campaign has no comment at this time.” If she cares about the Democratic Party and she wants a unified district that Sonia can rally and keep together, then she ought to do everything in her power to heal any of the wounds that exist and fully concede, announcing that she won’t try to torpedo Sonia’s first term or ability to defeat her general election challenge. This is party politics 101. We come together for general elections – not try to pull our coalitions apart.
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p>No, she goes to bat for them because not only is it the right thing to do, but because that’s what it takes to be reelected. Until she’s strong with every community in the district, she’ll be weak next election cycle. She’s a caring person and a smart one – she’ll go to bat for the entirety of her community.
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p>I’m glad to hear it. I’ll tell you what, let’s both just agree to give her a chance and allow Dianne to keep her remaining issues personal, so long as she doesn’t run a sticker bid or try to divide the community with further efforts or statements. I’ll even go so far as announcing I don’t intend on blogging about whatever happens with her regarding her most recent alleged transgressions with August’s AG deal – and allow that to be a private issue between she and the AG.
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p>But I expect you to keep an open mind about Sonia and give her the benefit of the doubt that she’ll fight hard for her entire district – black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight and anything in between; that she’ll answer to everyone, because it’s the right thing to do and something that is at the very foundations of democracy. That sound fair? Can we agree to that?
But I also think it was too soon to demand expressions of fealty from Wilkerson and her supporters. Their words won’t have any effect on the general. As Mike opened the diary by saying, the real burden of unifying the district is on Chang-Diaz.
If Wilkerson was answerable to the black community power structure and still kept breaking the law, what does that say about the black community structure? Are you saying it is weak, ignorant or complicit? Do you really want to drag them into the blame game?
Now that’s a little out of line, not to mention late. The election’s over (I hope). If Wilkerson was not a voice for black organizations, why would they have supported her? Gay organizations supported her as well- are they necessarily weak, ignorant or complicit?
or Cannoneo? Because s/he’s the one dropping into a dairy about peace-making with grievances over a past election. I was just taking his/her logic to task.
despite its title.
Blame game? Look, black Boston backed Dianne despite the way she had exposed herself politically. You can draw your own conclusions, but it didn’t have many options. Another candidate from within the community would have just split the vote. Influential people urging her to resign? Not many people (if any) with the juice to force her hand, too far down the road with her problems already, dependent on her going quietly, and still would have to put up a new face against a well organized Chang-Diaz. So yes, it is a weak power structure, for a weak community (politically). Progressives are supposed to have something to say about that.
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p>All the moral language (only bad bad people break laws!!!) is the real bullshit.
and start looking for silver linings. do you really think the black community will benefit by whining over a done deal? you can’t undo the election. best to start making the black community vital to chang-diaz and making chang-diaz responsive to and enlightened by the black community. enough with this tantrum.
Well, you go out for a long bike ride and talk happens…
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p>I am not one of Sonia’s advisers, merely a vocal supporter. She has no particular reason to listen to me, but I’m with Laurel on this and will pass that along to Ms. Chang-Díaz.
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p>Regardless of how much time she spent in Roxbury and other predominately black precincts elsewhere in the past three years, she’ll have to do more. Wilkerson has been around for nearly 16 years. We can debate about how much she was really present for this or that, but cumulatively, she has been visible to many. (Woody Allen allegedly said 80% of success is showing up.)
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p>More face time, and particularly more ear time, will do several things for her and her constituents. I have no doubt she’ll be very present even before assuming office. People will see her, speak to her and make sure she knows what upsets and pleases and hinders them. Her agenda and aims will be informed as well as their sense of her fleshed out.
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p>Having watched Sonia in action, I have little doubt she’ll set the model for district involvement.
I was rooting for Chang-Diaz over Wilkerson due to the incumbent’s ethical issues. Does anyone have any examples of votes which Chang-Diaz would have cast differently in the recent term if she had prevailed last time, or might vote differently in the upcoming term than Wilkerson would have. I get the idea that both candidates are rather progressive and ethnicity is the least of my worries.
The consensus among the two candidates, their campaigns and constituents alike is that their positions and votes would be very similar. That’s one aspect that has made this race particularly interesting.
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p>I’ve run on and on about this, both at Left Ahead! and particularly at Marry in Massachusetts. There’s a wrap-up here, which I won’t rehash.
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p>In fairness to Wilkerson, she did take a few heroic stands, for GLBT issues and same-sex marriage when many were opposed high on the list. It is in manifesting progressive changes that we should look for — and demand — more from Chang-Díaz.
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p>In her legislative life as well as her personal one, Wilkerson was rarely the leader. In that vein, she did not act early or with the vigor one might expect. She was also not a consensus and coalition builder. Her campaign claims otherwise, but on numerous bills I followed, she was late to the dance, but then loud.
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p>Those aren’t just housekeeping (pun intended) tasks. As we have seen too clearly in the past two years, the Senate a bit and the House a lot can stifle the best goals. They can also refuse to do the necessary.
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p>At its most pressingly obvious, we see that now in infrastructure. Under the chant of no-tax-hikes, for the past 18 years, the GC has delayed highway and bridge maintenance to the point that costs have soared and are onerous. Sure, the reps and senators brought home showpiece pork, but how about the commonweal of the commonwealth?
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p>We’ve seen much the same for Deval Patrick’s vaunted sweeping improvements. As much as I admire him and his aims, I expected better coalitions to push key bills through a timid and stubborn legislature. He promised us he’d done that at Coke and elsewhere.
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p>We have numerous progressives in the GC and are set to elect several more, including Chang-Díaz. None can accomplish coalition building solo, but I am pretty sure this is where we’ll see a huge difference between her and the Wilkerson types.
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p>As one small indication of Wilkerson’s attitude and effectiveness, you may notice that the endorsement-crazy candidate listed a handful of reps and only one senator, Therese Murray. A coalition builder would have been able to list a page from both houses.
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p>I am going to be looking for:
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p>Boil it down to same votes, plus leadership.
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p>P.S. To your post, there are a few from the campaign, like Chang-Díaz opposing the in-town bio lab for safety and reorganizing educational spending to shift money to more effective places.