Monday, February 15, 2010

Murray should stay in State Senate

Representative Delahunt is talking about retiring -- and there's been some BMG discussion about Senator Therese Murray running, leader of the State Senate. Let's all hope she doesn't -- because that decision could be disastrous. She'd almost certainly win the primary if she ran (her very presence would scare away many competitors), but that's where her advantages run out.

Because of Murray's position as one of the two most powerful legislators (and figures) in this state, any Republican challenger could run against everything that's wrong with Beacon Hill. It wouldn't matter whether she should be held accountable for those problems or not, she could easily be scapegoated and blamed. After all, she's the boss.

Furthermore, this would undoubtedly be the first challenging race she's had in a very, very long time. It's difficult for powerful politicians who have held safe seats for a very long time to suddenly mount strong campaigns. Campaigning is ugly, tough work. Coakley's loss would almost certainly make Murray realize just how important it would be to really get out there and stay sharp, but there's a big difference between knowing you should do something and actually doing it. At the very least, Murray would need a strong primary challenge.

Democrats should plead with Delahunt to stay on. Not only is he a widely-respected politician with lots of seniority, but he's the best bet to hold the seat and would keep the Democrats from having to spread themselves that much thinner in this difficult election year. If he absolutely doesn't want to serve another term, primary voters should go for a sharp, active outsider candidate, who can't be pinned for Beacon Hill's problems, like Andrea Silbert.

5 comments:

Middleboro Remembers said...

When Murray gestured "Ca Ching" and acknowledged she never reads anything that's ANTI casino, that spoke volumes about her willingness to remain unresponsive, isolated and insulated on Beacon Hill, and that's before discussing all of her considerable self-created baggage.

Pity!

If the Dems support her, it's another seat lost.

How many seats will be lost before voters are heard?

Does the Party somehow believe that a Convention vote opposing gambling is to be ignored? Is the Commonwealth to be turned into yet another slot wasteland like the ret of the country?

Quriltai said...

Slight correction, Ryan. Murray had a very challenging race in 2004, when she was at the top of Mitt Romney's hit list.

She buried the Mittster's chosen candidate. Granted, so did almost everyone that year, but she did so convincingly. She's not Martha Coakley.

Middleboro Remembers said...

Quriltai,

Although I can't speak directly to Murray's opponent, whoever had that 'bright idea' of running a Republican opponent against every Democrat successfully shredded what little credibility the statewide party had at the time.

As I recall, Jim McGovern's out of state opponent, an evangelical minister, ran on the solitary issue of homophobia and was fully unaware of the district.

Senator Pacheco's opponent was an unknown resident of Middleboro that no one had ever heard of, did no campaigning other than to walk in the July 4th Parade, had never held public office or even volunteered on a town committee.

There were other similar unqualified candidates who were easily defeated, so I'm not sure the 2004 election defines any candidate other than Willard.

"Ca Ching" has baggage that won't go unnoticed for higher office.

Ryan said...

While I don't know how competitive her election was in 2004, or competent her competition, I can say this: 2004 was 6 years ago. My point stands.

Quriltai said...

Ryan, if you think 6 years is "a very, very long time", then we just have to disagree.

Given that Brown's campaign replicated the template he ran a "very, very long time" ago, somebody with a broader sense of history would have seen his whole campaign coming.

And here's one hint for you -- the guy who ran the campaign of Murray's 2004 challenger, Tim Duncan, was fresh off bringing Brown to victory.

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