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The mayoral candidate being left off early MSM reports
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http://news.bostonherald.com/
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20...
is this not MSM enough?
Nah
I cited that in the blog. It's a preview with no content and apparent ignorance of his January kickoff.
This is a city filled with media sorts, who almost entirely could not be bothered. At the least, they could show up and conclude he has no chance. Here's a guy trying to make a race.
Oh, there is another announced candidate. Pirate radio operator Charles Clemons announced (largely on FB) on his 50th birthday last August that he was running for Mayor. It seems to be a vanity candidacy with no website, no speeches, no literature, no anything.
Wow, sounds like Bill or Ed
Wow, sounds like Bill or Ed Forry caught UH today.
Not going to make any judgment either way on Will Dorcena, but this overly glowing review of Linda Dorcena Forry ignores the fact that she does next to nothing on Beacon Hill. One would think a Haitian State Rep representing Dorchester and Mattapan would do more on issues that affect such a district (youth violence, violence, job creation, etc.) but instead she's become a johnny-come-lately to nearly every significant issue. She's leads a small business committee that achieves nothing that the Speaker doesn't preordain, she has a subpar staff (even by BH standards) that is often uneducated on issues and disorganized, and she has taken the lead on NO key issues in years.
Further, when one is an elected official (whether male OR female) with four children who also spends dozens of hours of week pursuing a master's degree at Harvard, how much time do they really have to serve their constituents? She rides off the coattails of those around her and those with whom she has relationships, but she is truly a back-bench politician in Boston when compared to Felix Arroyo, Ayanna Pressley, Jeff Sanchez, Tito Jackson, Sonia Chang-Diaz, Mike Ross, Matt O'Malley, John Connolly, Marty Walsh, and so many other young/smart leaders who actually DO make a difference.
Guess Fitzy missed the part
Guess Fitzy missed the part where Rep. Forry led the charge to save the library branches across the city- staring down the mayor and the BPL trustees. She rallied her colleagues across the board to the cause. That caught my eye. This young lady is not one to take lightly.
Herald? Mainstream?
Bwahahahahahahahhahaha
What Mike Ball fails to
What Mike Ball fails to acknowledge is that Will Dorcena has been completely absent from every important progressive victory in this city and state over the last decade... And he has the nerve to conjure the image of a Deval Patrick candidacy, let alone the president's in his analysis? Delusional is the only word that works.
This is truly disrespectful to Will's sister, Rep. Linda Dorcnea Forry, who has been at the forefront of all of these battles. She was not only an early supporter of the Governor and the President- she served as an able media surrogate for both. After replacing Tom Finneran in 2005, Rep. Forry has been at the vanguard of progressive wins in MA- from equal marriage to equal pay for temp workers and in-state tuition for immigrant kids. She has been a steady ally of women candidates across the state- from Ayanna Pressley to Elizabeth Warren.
Will Dorcena has been MIA through all of these important wins- including his own sister's victory in 2005- since he doesn't like, respect or get along with her. The only action Will D. has taken in the last few years is to try- and fail- to win a seat for himself on the Boston City Council. His answer to being rejected in that effort: I'll run for mayor! Ridiculous.
Politics— and successful progressive politics in particular- is about building coalitions and forming partnerships with like-minded politicians and activists. Linda Dorcena Forry is the model of that style. Her brother, sadly, is the polar opposite.
Everyone has a right to run. But, there's a reason Will Dorcena's going to be ignored. And Mike Ball is smart enough to know that.
Not Will
In fairness, Dorcena did not compare himself to either successful candidate. That's my commentary.
I'm struck by some parallels, as well as the differences his campaign so far has. Those are in my blog.
Of course, for both Patrick and then Obama, their content and presentation tapped into potential voters' minds and emotions. Dorcena has an elaborate and fairly detailed set of proposals. It remains to be see how much heat he can generate in his meetings and house visits.
I'd keep an open mind
It always tires and bores me to hear about how some candidate has failed to "earn" the right to run. So what if the guy has not been involved in whatever all the "progressive victories" of the past? What matters is whether he can put together a campaign now and build an army of volunteers and supporters to achieve something of significance.
I don't know anything about Will Dorcena, but I would like to see more candidates who have not made a career out of the system and instead view politics as a public service commitment that is a part of the rest of their successful lives. Of course they need more than good ideas--you can't pretend that an unknown person with no experience is equal to someone with a record of accomplishment, but I say go for it and let's see what he's got!
If the mayor runs, the mayor wins
It's by design.
I've heard from many somewhat surprising corners (people I know to be fans of the mayor) that even they think it's time for some fresh blood - so there is the extremely remote chance that enough people feel that way and we get some new blood in there. Him being in a hospital for a month doesn't help the perception that maybe he's too old (get well soon Mr. Mayor - even your political opponents wish you good health!).
However:
1) You can't raise enough money to put together the needed campaign - unless you have your own $1 million laying around. Don't know much about Will, but I'm guessing he doesn't have $1 million.
2) The city workers (firefighters perhaps excepted) and their friends and families will still vote for you en masse because you've made sure they've gotten an annual COLA except maybe one year and few if any cuts to bennies - that's 30,000 votes.
3) The mayor has a base who will vote for him no matter what and a machine that will make sure they get to the polls - he makes sure their parents have a shuttle to the South Bay mall, fixes your potholes, repairs the broken street light etc. That's another 30,000 votes.
Add in a few other votes here and there - and the mayor will win the primary (easily) and wins any citywide election 60-40. That will go in the future for any modestly competent mayor as well - the system is literally designed to make sure the incumbent wins unless he's a complete screw up.
All is true ... but doesn't matter
I can't see any way the Menino machine will be in force next fall.
You heard it here, first.
It's the end of an error, people.
Aha
I see what you did there!
Well Dorcina for Mayor has been picked up by www.nbcnews.com
http://boston.everyblock.com/politics/nov17-hyde-p...
Well, no, not really NBC
Everyblock is a research project that NBC bought as part of some hyperlocal experiment and has nothing to do with the TV network, really. Brian Williams still would not know Will Dorcena if his life depended on it.
No surprise
I piddle with Everyblock. That post was mine as well. Same same.
Adam you are a smart ass. Sometimes too smart for your own good
So what if Brian Williams doesn't know him. The point being if you go to www.nbcnews.com, the link to the story about Dorcina for Mayor was being promoted on the site under local news.
The Gaffin Effect
Ye old anon is right, not about the smart ass, but that the NBC site features that under Boston local news. As the author of the snippet, I find that very amusing.
UniversalHub seems to have inspired more hyperlocal news than ever. Whodathunkit?
Dorcena starts name calling
Dorcena, quoted in the JP Gazette, calls Menino a "tyrant" and a "dictator". It's a lame candidate who starts by insulting his opponent. Using these terms flippantly is an insult to anyone whose family lived under a true dictatorship, where those who seize power give themselves unlimited executive, legislative, and judicial power.
Where the leader becomes the state - becomes the judge jury and executioner. How dare he!
where those who seize power give themselves unlimited power
You do know how Menino does business, don't you?
I agree with your premise about not insulting a popular 500 term mayor - but for different reasons, but we DO have a mayor that holds all the executive and legislative cards and perhaps even a few judicial ones on some issues.
Personally I might vote for Menino if he runs. The city swept a debacle of property tax increases under the rug by spreading it over 3-4 years so the frogs in the pot wouldn't notice and avoided an even bigger fiscal disaster in 2008 by the skin of our teeth only because Boston was just late enough to the real estate party. No matter who becomes mayor next term there is a very high likelihood that one or both of these will repeat themselves and he should rightly shoulder the blame, not pass it along to his successor.