UPDATED: Read this great Twitter thread on the same theme.
Something I predicted was possible a few years ago is now being reported by the Globe. Baker reported to say
Baker says that he loves his job and that “some of the stuff we are working on will likely take more than four years to see our way through it.”
What stuff? This governor got elected and re-elected by promising to do nothing. Nothing to rock the boat on social issues in exchange for having a free hand to do nothing on our fiscal health. How many ambitious Democratic pols who skipped 2018 are willing or able to tackle Baker in 2022? How many legislators are going to continue to allow the Baker-DeLeo diarchy set the state’s agenda for another six years?
What are MA progressives going to do to head this off? Defend the legislators who say the right thing and vote the wrong way? Spend all our capital and energy on 2020 and assume MA is in good hands since at least we aren’t Alabama? Nominate another obscure Patrick staffer and hope for the best?
Our democracy is in trouble. Not just with Trump but locally. It’s time we have real competitive elections again.
Should this be construed as your announcement?:)
Haha! I appreciate it. My near term ambitions are tenure, fatherhood, and home ownership. When those three things are accomplished you can get back to me about running for public office. We’re now just two years and seven days away from
accomplishing the first goal.
We *have* to find not only a true progressive, but someone inspirational and charismatic to run. I voted for him, but Jay Gonzalez put me to sleep. (FWIW, my first choice was Massie, but I don’t think he would have beaten Baker either.) I think the only person who might be able to beat Baker is Maura Healey. If Trump wins a second term though, she may want to continue on as A.G. to keep suing his “administration”.
I like Ms. Healey as well, even though the recent track record of former AGs is not good (even before Ms. Coakley, Tom Reilly did not fare well in the 2006 primary season).
I am vary favorably impressed by Ms. Healey’s decision to cut ties with Ms. Coakley (a former mentor) after the latter’s decision to join Big Tobacco as a lobbyist.
I think the more-salient comparisons would be to Harshbarger and Bellotti, not to the two nothingburgers. Not destiny, though.
Agreed on both.
I think it might be more interesting to see if there are any examples of AGs who succeeded in becoming governor. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I haven’t researched it.
Losing to John Silber in a Democratic primary in Massachusetts is indeed an accomplishment.
I’m tempted to ask you the same question I asked jconway above:)
My concern with Healey (whom I absolutely love as AG) is that we’ve seen the AG tries for the brass ring movie before and know how it ends.
Is she less likely to run if Baker seeks a third term? It definitely makes Baker Bro Marty Walsh a lot less likely to run, and he’ll likely have more of a fight on his hands for his next re-elect than he did previously.
Typically Beacon Hill outsiders do better and our party does not tend to attract or nominate them all too often. Mike Dukakis is a notable exception to that rule as the outsiders insider. Hard to imagine that when 2022 rolls around we will have only had three Democratic governors in 50 years (and one of them was basically a Republican).