Monday, March 26, 2007

Jon Keller's Arrogance: the People Don't Matter

That's essentially what he says. Deval Patrick can't possibly get his issues passed, because the legislature just doesn't care about people anymore.

I have news for the Patrick organization: if they think that rallies on the state house steps or global e-mail barrages are going to influence votes on Beacon Hill, they’re in for a nasty shock. The legislature has made it clear in recent years that they’re growing impervious to general public feedback.

Referendum questions approved by the voters are routinely ignored. Incumbents almost never lose. Why SHOULD they worry?


Keller's mad - just angry - that Deval Patrick's team won't be naming names on their website. While it may be helpful if his team did, it could just spark the kind of nasty battle that would be counterproductive. Patrick's supporters will know the names, rest assured Mr. Keller, they'll just get them from bloggers, friends and individual supporters on the website. After all, that's what the website is all about: the people. The people can easily name names. Right now, I'm naming Keller - a talking head who was very wrong yet again.

Update: David disagrees with much of my assessment - and he does have a point. Naming names could have a tremendous impact, but there is some risk. If Deval Patrick changes his mind, I'll run with it, though he risks further alienating people he is going to need to work with. It's a tough choice - that's why we put him in office. Ultimately, he's accountable for whatever he chooses. If Jon Keller were slightly less condescending toward democracy and focused more on that point, he may have convinced me.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny, "the people" mattered at the last ConCon.

I think when Keller says people, he just means him.

Anonymous said...

I think this is one of your best arguments since i have been reading your blog every day. Who would of thought that a "political outsider" (i hate that phrase), would win a gubernatorial election in a state that is in the minds of some an oligarchy. This recent campiagn showed that there is desire for change among the people, and the first step to changing even more, is doing exactly what Mr. Patrick has done thus far. I am very encouraged by these recent steps , the re-opening of the grassroots plan, and i hope that John Keller will realize in due time that he is wrong.

Anonymous said...

Keller just asked, rhetorically, whether Patrick's site will descend to the "bile" of the Internet.

In contrast, I suppose, to the very different intestinal excretions that his broadcast provides.

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