And congratulate Senator Kerry on his new job.
Chicago Sun Times reports John Kerry has been chosen as the next Secretary of State. I know you’re tired. I am too. But so are the Republicans. Just remember that when you’re out in the snow collecting signatures, or doing GOTV for the third Senate race in four years. We just beat them, and we can do it again.
http://www.suntimes.com/17019560-761/source-obama-has-chosen-john-kerry-as-secretary-of-state.html
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John Kerry? Yeesh. What a step down from Ambassador Rice (to say nothing of Secretary Clinton).
Oh well….so who’s running?
I think Deval Patrick should simply bite the bullet and work with the lege to change law, again, so that we return to the long-standing practice of having the governor appoint someone to fill a vacant seat. The only reason it was changed in the first place was to stop Mitt Romney from appointing a Republican to the seat in the unlikely event that John Kerry won the presidential election in 2004.
Yes, the GOP would scream bloody murder — so what, they scream bloody murder anyway over anything, large and small, that goes against them. If Scott Brown wants to run for the senate again, let him do so in 2014 when Senator Kerry’s term ends.
I suspect that if this were done, the GOP support for Mr. Kerry as SoS would evaporate and Mr. Brown might well find himself running against John Kerry — a campaign that Mr. Brown would lose.
I continue to believe that Massachusetts and America is better with our current congressional and senate delegation where they are and with somebody else running the State Department. It isn’t just about dreading yet another Scott Brown mudbath (because that’s the only kind of campaign he can run), and it’s not because I don’t think we can mount a successful special election campaign against him (although I hope that Martha Coakley is IMMEDIATELY ruled out), it’s because its a waste of resources and will end up with a cast of players that’s worse than what we have now.
I want Mike Capuano in the house, just like I want the other representatives who have been mentioned. I think John Kerry can do far more in his current role than he can as part of President Obama’s cabinet.
Four elections (two special and two regular) between 2010 and 2014 is too much, and makes an already dysfunctional process an utter travesty.
Although I do think we’ve got an uphill battle in a special election should Brown run. It would be held in the summer, with many students (who not only vote but, more importantly, volunteer) gone. Offseason, short campaign, no Dem with statewide recognition on Brown’s level.
Warren won largely due to huge turnout in a Presidential year. It was up nearly 40% over 2010’s special and November elections, much of that increase in Dem strongholds. That will be hard to repeat in a July election with no other race on the ballot. We’ll have to work for it. And no factionalism like last time.
It’s a big waste of resources just when we were turning to important state and local issues. I hope(d) Obama would nominate someone else. Hope Kerry will say no, but don’t expect it. Disappointed.
It took Kerry more than 20 years to achieve that status.
…with the Governor appointing until the next biennial election, which in this case would be when this seat is up anyway. I think it should be in the state constitution rather than change with the political winds. I still don’t go along with the handwringing about an election though and don’t think it’s right to change the law last minute.
Here’s the thing: I just plain love having elections as that is where my professional training and avocational interests all lie. I’ve spent time in VA and they have elections every year because they do state elections on the odd years which is great for someone like me. Plus there’s a good chance whoever is elected will create a vacancy of their own thus possibly another election. I understand this might overload some, but it’s just a matter of taste for me.
100% disagree with STom. Dicking around with the process is what have Brown the ability to run against Beacon Hill for a federal office and start “the people’s seat” malarkey. I agree with Christopher that special elections are a waste of time and money and we should have a provisional appointment followed by an election at the next biennial. This way we avoid the Blagojevich problem (remember when BMG praises our law when Blagojevich got in trouble than condemned it when Teddy died?) while also avoiding a low turnout special election every vacancy. What Christopher proposes is the new law in Illinois and it makes sense. Can’t really sell a seat that would be up in under two years, avoids special elections and enables a short term pick like a Ted Kauffman to go in there and have continuity until the next race.
Maybe they should care, but come 2014 this issue will make the pretend Fauxcahontis outrage look like a big deal.
My big problem is that running statewide in such a short timeframe precludes truly grassroots candidates from gaining the momentum they need.
Or, maybe we ought to freaking stop having big offices take two years to run for…that is a HUGE flaw in the regular system.
I don’t know. I do know I’m freaking tired but I will be there with bells on if that is what it takes to keep a Scott Brown from the office.