Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

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  1. I suppose Deval Patrick won against tremendous odds over Tom Reilly, but it doesn’t happen that often, particularly on short notice.  

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    p>So it will be interesting to see if it’s even possible to get polling traction against Martha Coakley.  

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    p>That said, I’ve met Alan Khazei 5 or 6 times via his work for City Year and for Be The Change.   I’m an independent and he’s left of me politically, but as a person, I thought he was just a total stand up guy, a thoughtful progressive open to pushback from centrists.  

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    p>He’s devoted many years to getting tens of thousands of recent college grads and other young people to give a full year of public service.  

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    p>He’s delivered results.  Most recently, he led the effort on Capitol Hill – which Ted Kennedy provided air cover for, and President Obama signed – to double or triple AmeriCorps.  

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    p>It’ll be interesting to see what sort of campaign he has in mind…

    • Deval Patrick was able to beat Tom Reilly after a nearly two and a half year effort. I remember stumping for Patrick in the summer of 05 in Arlington just to get his name out there.

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      p>Khazei could be a great future candidate someday but he needs to get his feet wet with a lower office first. I heard someone else say he is a resident of the 8th district maybe he can run for Capuano’s open seat if Mike wins. If Mike doesn’t win that doesn’t stop him from running for other offices. Treasurer will be open, Galvin and De Nucci could always use strong challengers IMO, or if a big post is what he needs maybe he could be the progressive (and competent) alternative to Deval. But I just don’t see an outsider taking this in such a short amount of time.  

      • for Auditor, Sec of State, Treasure or AG for that matter.  He’s cut his teeth on policy and can have a great deal more impact (and satisfaction) in either branch of Congress.

      • Firstly, anyone can win a 90-day primary contest with Election Day in December.  

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        p>Second, the good ol’ boy career politician track is no longer a particularly respected pathway to national leadership (if it ever was). Americans are incredibly cynical toward career Washington insiders who’ve never worked outside of government and have been mucking things up with their favor-trading and back room deals.

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        p>As in the Obama-Hilary primary, Capuano and Coakley will be portrayed (fairly or not) as the “safe” conventional choice whose “turn” it is to get a long-awaited promotion. Khazei likely will be portrayed as the more idealistic and entrepreneurial outsider who isn’t corrupted by DC-insider culture.

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        p>While Cap and Coakley will start with organized Democratic support (from unions, state rep’s and senators) particularly in urban areas, I think the suburban voters will be underwhlemed by their career-pol package. These voters –Newton, Watertown, Waltham, Cambridge, Quincy, the Cape– will be open to someone like Khazei or even an investor like Pagliuca.

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        p>Khazei and Pagliuca also will benefit from positive media interest simply because they are new. And short campaign like this election will end-up a 50% voter “Impulse Buy.”

        • I think locally there is enough Patrick fatigue and nationally enough Obama fatigue that people have turned their backs on outsiders. Both have been ineffective executives because they are inexperienced.

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          p>Also Obama was no insider. He was in one of the most clubby state houses of all in Springfield and in the most clubby house in Congress-the Senate. I say to go from complete outsider to Senator is a lot harder. People like former executives and bankers for Governor, they want people with proven records for Senator.

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          p>But I await to see him in the debates and see what idea’s he brings forth. I am leaning Capuano but still open to other choices.

  2. Just read his bio and realized he was a lawyer too. He could run for AG if Coakley wins. Basically whoever wins presents an open seat he could run for. I don’t see him going from being someone nobody’s heard of to being a Senator in 90 days.

  3. Pagliuca is a Bain Capital wolf in progressive sheep’s clothing.

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    p>Stephen Pagliuca and his wife, Judy, both contributed to $1,000 each for both the primary and general election ($4,000 total) to Mitt Romney’s Senate run AGAINST Ted Kennedy in 1994.

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    p>OK, you say, they were just helping out Romney who Stephen worked with at Bain.

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    p>But, how does Pagliuca explain the $4,000 he and his wife gave to Bill Weld when Weld ran for the US Senate against John Kerry in 1996?

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    p>And, how does Pagliuca explain his contribution of $1,000 in 1999 to George W. Bush’s Presidential Primary Campaign? And, the $5,000 he gave to the Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Campaign Committee in 2002?

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    p>Since 2004, he’s given a lot to Democratic causes.  But, how do we know he’s truly converted?

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    p>http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/by…

  4. …will have the guts to tell him what the chances are of a millionaire investment banker winning a Democratic Primary in Massachusetts?  

    • Doug will be too busy thinking about how to get Deval Patrick reelected…would not want to be distracted by a multimillion dollar sugar daddy.

      • counting the $$ rolling into their consulting firms.  I think some of these guys see Pagliuca as the next Chris Gabrieli — a well-meaning, relatively politically-naive multi-millionaire that they can soak for as long as they can.

        • I see it as an affirmation of Doug’s stature as both progressive and as extraordinarily talented.

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          p>It seems clear enough to me that Mr. Pagliuca chose to buy the best on the street for both of those, because you always spend your marketing dollar on your weaknesses (your strengths speak for themselves) — which strikes me as putting Mr. Pagliuca’s creds at risk, rather than Doug Rubins.

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