Former Rep. Paul Loscocco, a Holliston Republican, is joining unenrolled Treasurer Timothy Cahill’s gubernatorial ticket, sources close to the campaign told the News Service Wednesday….
In July, Loscocco said he was enthusiastic about GOP candidate Charles Baker’s campaign.
“I think it’s way too early for me to speculate about who’s going to be the lieutenant governor,” Loscocco said in July. “I will be very happy to support Charlie any way I can.” Pressed for more detail, he said, “It’s premature to comment on that.”
Heh. I guess he’ll have to tamp down that enthusiasm for Charlie. Interestingly, Loscocco was one of the legislators who changed from “yes” to “no” on the anti-marriage amendment, thereby helping to prevent it from getting to the ballot. So, kudos to him for that.
…this does not advance the Cahill campaign and maybe another piece of good news for Baker.
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p>Polls indicate that Cahill is acting like a release valve that is giving moderate Dems and Unenrolled voters an outlet to express their disappointment with Deval, without having to cast a vote for a Republican. How does selecting a Republican advance that strategy? Particularly when the first (and only–given how obscure the office is) thing voters will learn about Loscocco is that he was against Gay marriage, before he was for it. Ironically if Cahill had convinced a Tisei, for example–who has a clear moderate record–that would have advanced his campaign. (But his best bet would have been finding a “businessperson” and they could tout the whole fiscal management stuff.)
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p>At the end of the day, moderates won’t be wowed by a Cahill/Loscocco ticket. And given Patrick’s low numbers and the assumption that if (well, really when) Cahill fades, Baker benefits…then this is good news for Baker.
I agree
Doesn’t seem to be polling better than Christy. Just the opposite. Is it because some Dems like him as an alternative? I don’t think Republicans care too much about those endorsements.
…but I’m hearing from friends across the aisle that Mihos’ campaign is turning into a cult of sorts and antagonizing a lot of Republican worker bees.
Baker’s money will begin to dwindle as months go on… Remember Baker chose not to seek re-election as Selectman of Swampscott b/c he was going to be voted out b/c he missed 25% of the meetings including Swampscott’s Town meeting. This upset many of his constituents. They thought that Charlie didn’t care
…why Cahill thinks there is more room on the unhappy-with-Baker right then on the disaffected-with-Deval left. I had heard rumors about Cahill being interested in other GOP state legislators, but didn’t really believe it because why would you choose to go in the direction that is at it’s lowest ebb in history at the ballot box in MA?
Cahill has $3 million in the bank. However, his fundraising since he announced has been anemic. Furthermore, Frank Phillips points out that since 1998, every winning gubernatorial candidate has spent a minimum of $10 million (Deval $19M in 2006). So Cahill and his new GOP buddy must come up with $7 million miminum to be viable. That ain’t happening. The Cahill candidacy is ill-conceived and doomed to marginal support – I predict single-digits.
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The Globe reported that Cahill raised 650K last year. They reported that Baker raised 720K this December alone! There’s no way Cahill can keep pace with Deval, Baker and the soft money they’ll receive from their respective parties. Cahill is %1000 delusional.
I’d rather see Deval re-elected, and don’t want Cahill in the corner office, but Loscocco’s a good guy.
I live in the district. He did a decent job of bringing home the bacon, but otherwise he treated the office as a part-time job while being a partner in a downtown firm. Carolyn Dykema is a significant improvement as a legislator–she’s really putting her heart and soul into the job.
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p>I’m curious why Loscocco’s doing this in the first place. Is he miffed at the State Republican Committee for some reason?
like he wanted to be someone’s LG, and was hoping it would be Charlie, but that didn’t work out. You take what you can get, I guess.
Loscocco is a formidable and excellent choice for Cahill. Not only did Cahill pull off a master stroke by moving to the right of Baker, but Loscocco had been the top choice for Lt. Governor in a poll that the Republicans did on redmassgroup.com a couple months ago.
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p>If McCain had won the Presidency, the word was that Loscocco, who was McCain’s chair in Massachusetts, was to be appointed to McCain’s cabinet.
…how is it a master stroke that he’s moving to the right of Baker?
kindofblue certainly articulated how thoughtful Loscocco maybe as a person and a public servant. But my question concerns the less-than-thoughtful process the elections often become. 99.9% of the voters will never get to know Loscocco like kindofblue did (great handle btw) and will only know him as a: Republican; “flip flopper” of marriage; and pro-life. Not fair, but that’s life.
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p>So let me ask the question this way–how does someone perceived to be more to the “right” by low information moderate Democrats and unenrolled voters that Cahill is banking on to be Governor?
…and now it’s gone. Just because I asked you a question and wanted you to elaborate on your comment, you decided to attack me…this is our first encounter at BMG (although, given your tone and your “Feces Gravy” comment, I have a feeling we “talked over at RMG)…are you always that thin skinned when someone asks you a simple question?
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p>BTW, I assume the editors deleted your post because of the blatant disregard of the “rules of the road”. It’s their site and a reasonable rule, but I wished they kept it up, to show folks how small and intellectually weak you obviously are.
I lived in Loscocco’s district during the marriage vote and, along with my partner (now wife!) was one of the people who held numerous constituent meetings at my house, friends’ houses and his office. We all know he switched in the end, which helped us win. But the thing I remember most about those meetings was how thoughtful, considerate and reasonable Loscocco was even before he officially switched his vote. From talking with other MassEquality members around the state, I know that a lot of people had Reps and Senators who were nearly impossible to get meetings with, and even when they did meet the legislators were closed minded and dismissive of their constituents’ pleas for equality. But Rep. Loscocco always made himself available for meetings in the district or in his State House office, and my wife and our friends all got the impression that his heart was always with us and he just wanted to make sure he’d considered all the legal angles since he was a lawyer. It was such a refreshing experience to meet with a legislator who really listened and showed he was thinking about all of his constituents. I think he’s a great choice for a running mate, and I’m really excited to have another opportunity to vote for him again even though I moved out of that district!
Were there no Democrats that would run with Cahill, or at least one independent that had slightly more name recognition than Paul Loscusso? Or, is Cahill really a Republican who was afraid to register as one and run against the Baker operation with all its health dollars? While I’m at it, I find it distasteful for candidates for governor to claim to have running mates even before they have the nomination? Let them all run for their own seats and settle the ticket at the convention.
Or, equally distasteful, before their preferred Lt. Gov candidate has the nomination! Still, it’s become common practice over the last several years, though Deval to his credit did not do it.
independent candidates have neither LG primaries or conventions, so it’s the only way as far as they’re concerned.
this is a good move. Loscocco’s thoughtful record will speak for itself. You or I might not always agree with him. But anyone who has followed Beacon Hill (and isn’t insane over the his gay marriage vote) can’t help but be impressed by Loscocco ability to get things done across party lines.