From WGBH:
While Allen has never held elected office,she brings an impressive resume to the campaign. She directs Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and has written extensively on both ancient political philosophy and contemporary U.S. society, including how to respond to the manifold challenges posed by COVID-19.
Danielle Allen is a great scholar of the American founding and has a lot of appreciation for the radicalism of the American Revolution that’s getting lost with some of the excesses of the era. In some ways, she’s following the Warren playbook by trying to transition from academia to public office. That said, there are some key differences as the article brings up:
unlike U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who successfully moved from academia to electoral politics in 2012, Allen has not been an active participant in the partisan fray.
I think that’s going to be the rub with this candidate. At this stage of the race it’s all about winning over delegates to get on the ballot and she has yet to show up and do the work to help local Democrats get elected or even be highly involved as a Democrat in some high profile fights. Her COVID work was largely apolitical and academic, even though she did help author the Smith-Cassidy relief bill, it’s behind the scenes tinkering and not the full throated bully pulpit that Warren enjoyed back in 2012.
The question she didn’t answer in her remarks is why Charlie Baker, who enjoyed a 60% approval rating from her fellow Democrats, needs to go and why she’s the one to beat him. All the candidates need an answer to that, and fast. Although perhaps it’s an open race after all since Baker isn’t raising any money and his own party is at war with him…
I like what I hear so far.
Perhaps she is more like Deval Patrick than Elizabeth Warren — the gubernatorial race of 2006 was Mr. Patrick’s first campaign if I recall correctly.
I have a growing preference for the academic background of both Ms. Warren and Ms. Allen over the corporate culture that molds Mr. Patrick.
I’ve had just about enough corporate-culture governance, especially when it comes to taxing the very wealthy.
The big thing is it’s hard to argue our economy is broken when a majority of voters in this state are doing pretty well. So you’d have to really work hard to assemble the upstairs/downstairs coalition of affluent progressive voters and working class voters.
I worry Downings agenda is too transit/urban focused which doesn’t appeal to the suburbanite professionals the Democrats would need to win. It’s basically Jay Gonzalez redux. I worry Allen’s is too high level and civic minded so she’ll win the college towns and lose everywhere else. Don Berwick redux.
A lunch pail Dem like Lynch could give Baker a run for his money, but he’s doa in a statewide primary. I’m still holding out hope Curtatone or Healey get in. Sonia Chang Diaz could square the circle if she makes education her signature issue. That’s an area where working people and suburbanites could come together since our schools have been badly neglected by Baker and Reilly.
I agree with this analysis.
I will immediately and enthusiastically support Joe Curtatone the moment he announces a candidacy.
Pretty sure Curtatone made it clear that he was not interested in another office.
When did he say this? Nothing Sherman-esque about this statement (most recent I could find) at all.
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2021/03/05/somervilles-curtatone-insists-hes-not-running-for-governor-blasts-baker-on-vaccine-rollout
I’ll throw in I’d be happy to vote Kennedy for Governor, but I suspect I’m in the minority around here. He stays out unless there’s an open seat down the line, and he will have to kiss Markey’s ring regardless.
I guess Sherman-esque isn’t my standard, but I recall his basically saying he wasn’t running for Mayor and not anything else either. People can always change their minds of course.
@Christopher: My recollection is that he was notably silent when asked about his future plans. The local activists I know here absolutely expect him to run (although I suspect that at least some of that is cheerleading on their part).
Here’s the relevant excerpt from the March 5 WGBH piece that James cited above (emphasis mine):
I take that as a pretty clear message that he’s testing the waters — sort of like a startup in “stealth mode”. I assume he’s talking to potential donors, taking the temperature of consultants and activists that he trusts, and exploring who he might be able to recruit for his campaign team.
I will be surprised if he makes any sort of announcement before leaving the Mayor’s office in January.
Although Sumbul Siddiqui, the Mayor of Cambridge (and a friend since 1st grade!) just backed Allen. She worked very close with Curtatone on the pandemic, which leads me to think he won’t be running. But we’ll see!
I’ve heard vague rumors that he is considering national office. Some say the CD7 seat, some say whichever Senate seat opens first.