Latest poll shows Patrick still way, way up - with high unfavorables for Healey. Political Intelligence has more.
Matt Margolis on Hub Politics, retorts that the meetings prove Patrick will just be a rubber stamp and seems relieved that Patrick finally admits there might be cases in which he'd want to raise taxes.
Pundit Review hosts Hub Politics's Matt Margolis and Blue Mass. Group's David Kravitz at 7 p.m. on Sunday on WRKO to discuss November's election for governor.
You'd think he's the front runner or something - All of a sudden, everybody's going after him. Look, here's Brian "I once squeezed an entire column out of a ride on the LimoLiner" McGrory condemning his candor gap.
Jon Keller posts the transcript of that Patrick interview over what he would have done differently to close state budget gaps and concludes Patrick may be all talk, no action.
Kerry Healey, WTF? It is outrageous that our Lt. Governor makes a mere 400 students a campaign issue while refusing to acknowledge the existence of the commonwealth’s 30,000 students currently attending state higher education institutions. That’s 400 students that would pay $40,000 for a degree at the University of Massachusetts Boston - anything but a free ride.
Hey, K. Heal! Talk about people like me! I attend state university. And in state tuition is no gift, take Ryan’s word for it . How does punishing these 400 students help me? 91 classes at UMB were canceled this fall because not enough students were enrolled; clearly, there is plenty of room.
On Blue Mass. Group, David liveblogged the debate.
Hub Politics says Patrick failed to shine and that the main act was the sparring between Mihos and Healey.
Timmah: Deval Patrick has got to love Christy Mihos right now.
John Daley will be watching tonight's debate (6 p.m. on Channel 25):
Will Patrick move to the center? Will Healey go over the top? Tonight's debate will be worth watching. At the very least it will be engaging. ...
Jay Fitzgerald writes that Healey needs to alter her approach:
... A repeat of her primary-night robotic attack/here-I-am mode probably won't work. She should swing for hits, not the fence. ...
Wow, who knew both left and right could find common ground? And that ground is apparently the dirt on the shoe state Democratic Party honcho Phil Johnston is taking out of his mouth. Plus: Healey's Democratic Gang of Three.
On Blue Mass. Group, David says Johnston blew it:
No one seriously thinks Kerry Healey is a racist or a race baiter, and everyone would do well to accept Johnston's act of contrition and move along to talk about these issues - and the rest of them - on their merits.
The Pussycat Dolls are auditioning for a new member, but they're telling Kerry Healey she can't try out:
... Applicants must not be candidates for public office at the time of application, and if an Applicant is selected as a participant in the program, that Applicant must agree not to become a candidate for public office until after the initial broadcast of all programs in which that Applicant may appear. ...
Via Critical Fluff.
David Weinberger says Patrick's victory shows the power of the 'Net:
... This is also a win for Internet politics. Patrick ran a grassroots campaign that's making smart use of the Net. Plus, he's been more direct and more human than candidates often are, which, right or not, I take as being part of the Net ethos. Patrick is going to stir up some powerful enthusiasm in this state. ...
Gene Koo discounts the 'Net effect:
Hub Politics uses a quote from an eight-year-old Watertown Tab article to slam Chris Gabrieli. Blue Mass. Group goes aha - no way could the Margolis Brothers have found that quote themselves, therefore, the Healey campaign is feeding its oppo research to the blog. Bonus: The current editor of the Watertown Tab jumps into the fray.
Kimberly Atkins notes the arrival of spoof and negative YouTube videos for this year's elections.
Yes, even Grace Ross. MassINC has posted transcripts and audio of interviews with all the candidates.
Just for argument's sake, let's pretend that John Kerry and Kerry Healey divorce their spouses, then marry each other. Would Kerry Healey change her name to Kerry Kerry (and then go challenge New Hampshire's Dudley Dudley to a double-name grudge match - unless, of course, Dudley Dudley then one upped her by marrying former wrestler Dudley Dudley, thus making her Dudley Dudley Dudley)?
Mass. GOP News lays out the case for Republicans to wish Healey loses this fall: Use all the money from her campaign to support a Republican takeover of the Legislature:
Andy at Mass. Revolution Now posts notes from an environmental forum last night.
John Daley, who knows something about policing, predicts that even if the Romney/Healey administration insists on the State Police checking the immigration status of everybody they stop, the troopers will simply ignore the mandate:
...[T]hey will lose the ability to work effectively with local police departments on joint investigations or initiatives. Forget counter-terrorism investigations. No one will in the communities will talk to them. ...
Deb Geisler reports on a polling phone call she got today:
... The survey was clearly conducted by someone (a) whose native language was not English, (b) who did not know the correct pronounciation of the names of the candidates, and (c) who was at an international call center, and not in the U.S. ...
Via Blue Mass. Group.
Kerry Healey wants to eliminate the state gas tax this summer. Shai Sachs has another idea:
... [I]f we've got enough money to suspend the gasoline tax for the summer, why not encourage smart transportation alternatives and make the T, buses, and commuter rail totally free? And run the commuter rail lines more frequently in the morning. That would make it possible for plenty of people to commute to work affordably and it would decrease our dependency on oil. ...
Kerry Healey wants a board (which the governor would appoint) with the power to remove judges.
Hub Politics: An absolutely great idea ...
Blue Mass. Group: This is a terrible idea ...
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
