As we get closer to the Democratic primary election on 9 September in Massachusetts, I thought that I would drop you a few lines with my recommendations for your thoughtful consideration.
I am offering candidates that represent support for and dedication to progressive political values.
“Progressive political values” is best defined as: support for democracy; support for equality; support for a decent criminal justice system; support for civil rights and civil liberties; support for a woman’s right to choose; support for public education; support for labor’s right to organize; support for environmental regulations that will work to reduce global warming caused by carbon based energy systems; support for alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power, support for initiatives that will move us away from gasoline powered automobiles and toward a decent mass transit system that serves our needs and the needs of the environment.
I like candidates who support democratic government and do not denigrate it. I support candidates who support fair taxation proposals and oppose class biased taxation schemes that shaft low-income folks.
I like candidates who stand up in opposition to gambling casinos and actively work to oppose the construction of more of them. I am opposed to “fracking” and pipe line projects that keep us in bondage to fossil fuels.
I like candidates who have an appreciation for minimum wage laws that are fair, maximum hours laws that are just, and indicate genuine support for Social Security and Medicare.
I tend to distrust candidates who follow the reactionary economic doctrines of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek and the nonsense of Ayn Rand. Ronald Reagan is not one of my political heroes.
My candidate recommendations for your consideration for the Democratic Primary Election on 9 September are:
Governor – Don Berwick Lieutenant Governor – Michael Lake
Attorney General – Maura Healey Treasurer – Tom Conroy
Can you share your reasoning for Mike Lake? Here’s mine: I have been heavily influenced by his endorsements and his long, hard work on the campaign trail. If I were voting on experience I’d choose Kerrigan, and if I were voting on electoral savvy and educational chops I’d choose Cheung. I think Leland Cheung and Mike Lake both are somewhat more progressive than Mr. Kerrigan, so that leaves me with two people, neither of whom I’d really be able to see stepping into the Governor’s chair. Where THAT leaves me is how would they handle it? Who would gather the best advisors around him if that came to pass? I look at Lake’s endorsements and say “OK, then.”
Cheung is everywhere, and I’ve read reports about his commitment from people knowing him personally both here and in person who I collaborate with in organizations. He seems like he would be a much more dynamic office holder, but his aspirations (among a handful of items) are concerning. He ran for office as a Republican when he lived in the South and voted for Bush in 2004 – something he’s gone on to blame what sounds like his father for raising him in a Republican household. Then he moved up here and ran for Cambridge City Council as a Democrat as apparently a stepping stone to Lieutenant Governor, which is most likely a stepping stone to Governor, etc.
I’m not saying that it’s either completely disqualifying to switch one’s party and run for office again or that it’s completely disqualifying to run for various offices over the course of a few years, but the combination of both of them leaves a bad taste in my mouth. While people can point out that Elizabeth Warren changed parties, she doesn’t have the same history. When Cheung was a Republican, it wasn’t just that he didn’t know what the party represented, but his enterprise was focused on the 1 percent – catering to the superrich through arranging space tourism.
http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/2014/06/leland-cheung-r-virginia/
When Warren Tolman told Maura Healey that she was “unbecoming,” something that was really obnoxious, I would have preferred that it stopped there and if Maura could have handled it on the spot to explain the historical context of such statements rather than local supporters trying to capitalize on it. Cheung jumped on this opportunity to associate Tolman with racist politicians who speak in codewords of fear of black people.
To me, as bad as Tolman’s smug sexism was (and I don’t give him the benefit of the doubt), I think Cheung’s suggestion that Tolman was essentially dog-whistling to sexist and racist Bay State voters was even worse:
“For too long, Massachusetts politics has been unwelcome territory for women and people of color and comments like this don’t help,” Cheung said in a statement. He continued, “Intentional or not, Warren’s use of that term comes too close to a kind of dog whistle politics that has no place in today’s Commonwealth and he should apologize.”
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/is_unbecoming_becoming_a_sexis.html
When speaking about a female politician, I used her first name, but when speaking about the men, I used their last names. I’m guessing part of it is because I really like and support Maura Healey, and I don’t care for Leland Cheung or Warren Tolman… 🙁
He’s not the most inspiring candidate, but I like his positions (single payer, against casinos) and his focus (incorporating policy for the nonprofit Leading Cities). I met a man holding a banner for him outside North Station a week or so back who answered my questions. There’s something else I like about Mike Lake – he seems like a real wonk and not a slick politician.
I’d add that I believe Progressivism includes concern about poverty, mental health, a focus on treatment instead of incarceration, more tolerance of diversity of identities, and freedom for the individual to walk his or her own path – including the freedom to experiment with recreational drugs.
I say that latter part because I’m very disappointed at in the context of the failed (assuming one believes that the reason for it is the one that’s been given) War on Drugs both Warren Tolman’s and Maura Healey’s belief that marijuana is a gateway drug.