For anyone out there who is still undecided for this fall’s gubernatorial race, I would highly recommend this excellent piece written by Clifford Marks in The Harvard Crimson. Here’s an excerpt:
All this is well and good—and Berwick is no doubt the most committed progressive running for the Democratic nomination: He is the only one, for instance, to endorse a Medicare-for-all health care system in Massachusetts. Were it just his philosophy, though, I wouldn’t be writing this. But Berwick also possesses a gift far rarer: the ability to lead and change large organizations.
Please share widely!
I mean, seriously.
From a link in the OP:
But I will point out that the article you’re citing is from February 6, and doesn’t tell us much about what might be happening on the ground now, let alone where the race may go over the spring and early summer.
To tell the truth, I’m surprised that Berwick was polling that well at the beginning of February. No one other than core activists was even starting to pay attention to the state races at the time, and no one outside of a few healthcare geeks would likely even have recognized his name.
Pretty sure Patrick was polling in the single digits about up to a month before the convention. There is still time. I truly wish we had IRV though, I am very sympathetic to both Berwick and Grossman, but will be picking Berwick. What ultimately made the difference is the strong stances he has taken down the line on all issues. I am also impressed by his leadership record in the private and non-profit sectors, and unlike Patrick he has surrounded himself with some of our ablest and boldest policy minds in the state legislature (Chang-Diaz and Eldridge).
He may ultimately face a similar ceiling Reich did without the minority support Patrick picked up, but I wouldn’t write him off or assume he will poll single digits in September. He will be on the ballot and he will give the stale frontrunner a run for her money (speaking of her money, how’s she spending it lately Metheun?)
But Patrick was 30+ points behind Reilly in polls of likely primary voters right up to the convention.