Monday, September 28, 2009
'The Curse of The Middlesex County DA,' Part II
A couple people wrote in to confirm that Martha indeed qualifies as a dull AG in the long line of dull Massachusetts AGs -- but she's still probably going to win. I agree. She's still the favorite. But I do believe in political patterns -- and explanations for those patterns.
The pattern shows that the attorney general's office is an overrated springboard for higher office in Massachusetts. One of many explanations is that AGs are too rhetorically cautious, probably because of their legal training and fear they'll compromise cases if they shoot their mouths off, etc., etc. Martha has a lot going for her -- her record, the female vote, the short campaign. But if she blows this race, ignore the inevitable whining about how Massachusetts isn't ready for a female leader, blah blah blah. The record shows Massachusetts is rarely ready to promote an AG to higher office.
Update -- From Reader A:
A couple people wrote in to confirm that Martha indeed qualifies as a dull AG in the long line of dull Massachusetts AGs -- but she's still probably going to win. I agree. She's still the favorite. But I do believe in political patterns -- and explanations for those patterns.
The pattern shows that the attorney general's office is an overrated springboard for higher office in Massachusetts. One of many explanations is that AGs are too rhetorically cautious, probably because of their legal training and fear they'll compromise cases if they shoot their mouths off, etc., etc. Martha has a lot going for her -- her record, the female vote, the short campaign. But if she blows this race, ignore the inevitable whining about how Massachusetts isn't ready for a female leader, blah blah blah. The record shows Massachusetts is rarely ready to promote an AG to higher office.
Update -- From Reader A:
Former Gov. Dever, and one guy in the mid-19th century, were AG and later - after a gap -- governor. No one's gone straight up in 150 years. Coakley, btw, is well aware of this, and has said on many occasions that she wouldn't be elected governor.AGs have a bad record running for anything in Massachusetts, not just governor. But we're in general agreement.
I think it has something to do with Massachusetts tending not to vote for "cops." Law enforcement types have run very badly here (state/city) as opposed to, say, New York (Dewey, Giuliani, etc.). The "exceptions," Ray Flynn and Bill Weld, are at best/worst attenuated versions of the candidates who've succeeded elsewhere.
