A few random, sleep-deprived thoughts as we continue to digest the history-making events of the last few days.
There are many Republicans no doubt licking their chops at the prospect of once again controlling the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. But the “grand old party” still has some work to do, especially here in Massachusetts, where it isn’t even bothering to put up sacrificial lambs as candidates anymore.
I understand that this is a “blue state” that seems to get bluer by the day, but there were way too many holes on legislative ballots this year, save for the Stan Rosenberg Senate race where the candidate in question’s PR strategy apparently included throwing reporters off his property when they deigned to interview him.
“Massachusetts is dead last when it comes to (Republican) competitiveness, in primaries and general elections,” Greenfield Town Council Vice President Isaac Mass said. “It’s an incumbent’s paradise in Massachusetts, and it’s really the death of democracy in a state which once was the birthplace of it.”
Clearly, there are Republicans who have made the formula work, among them Gov. Charlie Baker, who just a couple of weeks ago struck a decidedly bipartisan tone when he came to Greenfield to announce a $7.5 million dollar Mass Works grant for the town’s new parking garage. Baker clearly understands, as does Susannah Whipps Lee in the 2nd Franklin District, that a hard right stand isn’t going to get you out of first gear here in the “People’s Republic of Massachusetts,” a reality more Republicans might want to embrace if they want their party to remain even remotely relevant in Massachusetts.
Speaking of the governor, he got his nose skinned on two fronts Tuesday, with the demise of Question 2, an initiative that would have removed the cap on charter schools, and the passage of Question 4, legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
Baker threw a lot of his political capital into both efforts, especially Question 2, the passage of which was being viewed by some as the unofficial start to his re-election campaign two years from now. He was less aggressive on Question 4, but made it clear that he was opposed to its passage, which he said was a “bad idea” for the commonwealth.
“I think it does affect him,” 2nd Berkshire state Rep. Paul Mark said of the losses. “He’s definitely lost some credibility, especially with the parents of kids who are in the public schools he was so critical of during the campaign.”
And don’t think those people won’t remember that when it comes time to head back into the booth in 2018.
By far, my favorite candidate of this year was Libertarian Thom Simmons, who made a valiant, but unsuccessful bid to unseat entrenched incumbent Democrat Richie Neal in the 1st Congressional District.
Simmons went into that race fully focused on winning, and did his best to take it to Neal, despite the incumbent’s largely successful attempts to ignore him. But as Springfield goes, so goes that district, and Richie was just too established in that area to ever be seriously challenged, let alone by a first-time candidate.
Even though Simmons did well in the more rural areas, the overall results did little to indicate that Neal’s popularity is beginning to wane. Still, I’d love to see Simmons or some other candidate take another run at him in two years, even if it is only to remind him that his constituency is here in western Mass, not in corporate boardrooms or Beverly Hills fundraisers.
It’s still amazing to me that marijuana is about to become legal in Massachusetts.
The passage of Question 4 is good news for a lot of people who have spent years fighting this particular prohibition, and as happy as I am for them, there are still concerns about how this new law will be implemented, given past performance with the decriminalization and medical marijuana questions.
“A very early priority in the next session will be looking into how to make it work,” 1st Franklin District state Rep. Steve Kulik said. “We certainly want this implementation to go more smoothly than medical marijuana did.”
It should be a fun process to watch, even if viewed through a haze of smoke produced by the commonwealth’s newest “cash crop.”
Chris Collins, who worked in local radio in a number of capacities, has observed political life in Franklin County for years. He also is a former staff reporter for The Recorder and a Greenfield native.