Want to politically stir things up in Massachusetts? Create really competitive races for a change? Throw out ossified members of a party that’s dominated Beacon Hill since Dwight Eisenhower was president in 1959? Break up political parties’ monopoly on who gets on state election ballots? Then vote ‘yes’ on Question 3, the ballot measure that would replace the current party primary system in Massachusetts with a California-like ‘all-party primary’ system. … Another reason to vote ‘yes’ on Question 3? The entire political establishment in Massachusetts opposes the measure, as Commonwealth Beacon reports. Of course they’re against eliminating party primaries. They’d lose their current monopoly over the process if it happened here. … 

Btw: I harped on this topic earlier this year. I’ll repeat: Open non-party primaries are not the cure-all, that’s for sure. But they’re a hell of a lot better than the current flawed system in which three out of five House and Senate races have only one candidate on the ballot.

Btw II: David D’Alessandro agrees the system needs a major shakeup (“Massachusetts has an aging problem. It’s called Beacon Hill” – Globe) but favors term limits to throw the 70-something rascals out. I like term limits too. But it’s an idea that’s been debated for years – and gone nowhere. Question 3 is right here, right now. … 

Btw III: GBH’s Saraya Wintersmith recently talked with Danielle Allen, chair of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, about why she supports Question 3.

Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week: 

— Our local retail juggernaut: “TJX to open 500 additional stores, bringing new goal to 7,500 locations” (BBJ)

— How much longer can this go on?: “U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse” (WSJ)

— A fun economic trip down Boomer memory lane: “A pizza box, a 1991 flashback, and the ghosts of Route 128” (Globe)

–– After his Washington Post experience, I doubt he wants the Globe. But the Red Sox are a different matter: “Don’t be surprised if Jeff Bezos someday casts a covetous eye on John Henry’s sports and media empire” (Contrarian Boston)

— The author handles the historic events unfolding on the Vineyard just right: “Alan Dershowitz Won’t Forget What Larry David Did to Him” (WSJ)

— Time for some common-sense regulations: “Child e-bike injuries have skyrocketed across Mass., ER doctors warn” (WBUR)

— It’s an assertion of our dominance: “Why we have a notch that keeps Connecticut from sliding into Long Island Sound” (Universal Hub)

— I liked the ‘Sister Souljah’ comparison: “Is AOC still picking the right battles?” (Globe)

— The new Irish resistance movement: “Trump wants a ballroom in Ireland. One man is having a ball fighting it” (Washington Post)

— The latest Great Moderate Hope: “This rising Democrat is writing the script for his party’s bid to finally rein in Trump” (Yahoo)

As Mayor Wu fends off a lawsuit alleging her administration retaliated against property owners who appealed their tax assessments, the mayor is now warning other property owners not to lease parking spaces to ICE, as WBUR and the Herald report. … She’s not adding “or else” to her warnings. She doesn’t have to. The threat of retaliation is implied – and it’s hard not to make the connection to the pending property-tax-retaliation case. …

Obviously, she’s dead wrong on this. But there are precedents of Boston mayors thinking it’s OK to harass and threaten private businesses and property owners, such as Mayor Menino’s peevish bannings of Chick-fil-A and CVC MinuteClinics in Boston. Wu, who once worked for Menino, clearly learned a lesson or two from her mentor.

Update — A reader writes in to remind me of the most infamous case of mayoral strong-arming: James Michael Curley’s threat to flood the vaults of the First National Bank if it didn’t loan the city money. Not surprisingly, the bank decided to approve the loan.

Update II — 8.20.26 – From the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “Michelle Wu warning to parking lot owners smacks of abuse.”

At this point, it’s probably Seth Moulton’s only hope – that the two new polls (Globe-Suffolk and WCVB-UMass) are as wrong today in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race as the polls were in Wisconsin and Michigan. But they’re probably not wrong because this is such a deep blue state (and not a swing state) that it’s hard to screw up a survey among likely voters here. … Then again, Dems represent only 25 percent of enrolled voters in Massachusetts – and progressives are merely a loud faction within that party. So maybe there’s a chance.

Update –8.19.26 – I didn’t see this coming: “The Globe editorial board endorses Seth Moulton for Senate.”

Update II— Meanwhile, the Globe reports that a high-school journalism teacher is running a surprisingly strong race against incumbent Richard Neal in the western Mass.

Update III – 8.20.26 – Dan Kennedy tries to make sense of the Globe’s Moulton endorsement.

Reading this article by the Atlantic’s Matt Viser (formerly of the Globe) about the just completed Patriot Games, my mind drifted to the old black-and-white films of German youth exercising for their glorious leader in the 1930s. … I know, I know. I normally hate heavy-handed Hitler analogies, particularly heavy-handed Hitler analogies by the Atlantic. But can I help where my History Channel-infused brain takes me?

Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories that you may have missed this past week:

— And some are actually upset they’re doing this: “Suffolk University launches ‘AI co-majors’ for degrees” (BBJ)

— A reform that seems to be working: “One Year Without Multifamily Parking Minimums: Salem’s Lesson for Mass.” (B&T)

— And they’ll pretend they’re living in a ‘fishing village’ amid the over-the-top opulence: “Maine’s Luxury Market Is Looking More Like the Hamptons and Nantucket” (WSJ)

— It’s the old Met storage facility with gloriously tacky castle turrets: “MIT opens century-old warehouse as the new home for architecture school” (BBJ)

— In-class written exams with pens and paper will beat AI cheating every time: “Bring Back the Blue-Book Exam” (Atlantic)

— Speaking of AI, he’s so full of shit: “Mark Zuckerberg’s Convenient Truth” (Atlantic)

— A good scorecard piece for those tardily boning up before the Sept. 1 election: “Sixth District primary is filled with ‘outsiders,’ an insider — and at least one Democrat trying to convince voters she’s both” (Globe)

— An interview with someone who’s admirably kept an open mind on a sensational subject: “‘Blizzard of Lies’ author Dave Wedge on new book detailing Karen Read, John O’Keefe murder case” (GBH)

— Tom Friedman veers from a Midwest primary race to Middle East politics – and it works: “El-Sayed’s Winning Path in Michigan” (NYT)

— The health-conscious side of me keeps saying ‘Don’t even think of going there’: “Mass. diner with legendary bacon portions prides itself as the ‘Birthplace of Cholesterol’” (MassLive)

The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld is right: the recent signatures controversy involving Rachael Rollins, as reported by the Globe and Herald, likely won’t prove decisive in her Dem primary bid for Suffolk County DA. She’s on a comeback roll right now, similar to a certain presidential candidate’s unlikely comeback bid two years ago, and you can feel she has momentum of some sort. So I’ll stand by what I wrote last spring after Rollins announced she wanted her old job back:

I have this awful feeling she’s going to be one of those pols who just won’t go away. She has that will to power, that sense of righteousness mixed with shamelessness, the ability to turn negative liabilities into victimhood positives. She also needs the job. I give her a 50-50 chance of winning in September. 

Btw: reviving old expense-account controversies, as the Herald does this morning, isn’t going to damage her prospects either. If anything, it might help her. See ‘victimhood positives’ above.

Update — I missed this from Universal Hub the other day “Did the Rachael Rollins campaign fuck up in Chelsea or is somebody trying to ratfuck her?” … And WBUR has more on the signatures controversy.

Update II — 8.13.26 – Well, maybe it will prove decisive. From the Globe: “Rachael Rollins handed in questionable signature papers herself, records show.” … Even AG Andrea Campbell is indicating this is a serious matter.

Following up on my Moderate muddle post from earlier this year, here’s some meandering thoughts on hapless (and not so hapless) moderates after last week’s elections. … First, let’s show some much-needed party unity between centrists and progressive by agreeing on the following point: Hasan Piker is a complete asshole (and not just a jerk). I mean, here’s a guy leading primary insurgencies against many good and decent Dems – and then he turns around and demands party unity when it suits his angry purposes. … Like I said, he’s an asshole. He’s also a commie, but we won’t get into that now. … Are moderates enlightened angels by comparison? Nope. When moderate establishment types aren’t endorsing hacks, they’re often playing the role of intimidated patsies, cowering under their desks in fear of primary challenges. And let’s face it: moderates can be almost unbearably dull. As a HB reader texted me the other night after the Abdul El-sayed’s returns started coming in from Michigan: “I don’t think it’s progressive vs centrist politics per se. I think it’s young and bold vs old and established. … It’s swashbuckling vs shitty candidates.” … Or as the Globe’s Larry Edelman recently put it:

As a lifelong Democrat, I am fed up with my feckless party, especially its aging leaders and brand of cultural elitism that puts down anyone uncomfortable with aspects of its “woke” agenda.

The party needs generational change, a new approach to social and economic issues — a down-to-the-studs demo and reno. But the DSA …

It always comes back to the privileged DSA types, mentally stuck in one of their college poli-sci classes taught by some far-left guru professor … But speaking of El-sayed and democratic socialists, I was beginning to believe he isn’t a DS-er, as he claims. But then I read this Reason piece and, well, let’s just say he’s technically not a DS-er. Still, I sort of like him. He’s a political swashbuckler, to borrow the above reader’s phrase, and he may well win in November. Barack Obama is backing him – and presumably trying to get him to tone down the rhetoric, as the NYT reports. … 

One of my favorite political analysts, Fareed Zakaria, writes at the Post that Dems, moderates and progressives alike, still aren’t addressing a core problem that’s alienating the working-class voters they say they want to win over, to wit: the far-left’s radical views on cultural issues. He’s right. It’s killing Dems. … 

Another HB reader believes that, unfortunately, the Dem Party is probably going the way of the GOP, allowing the extremists to slowly take over, etc., etc. He points to Evan Barker’s new book “Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative” as partial evidence. … Strangely, Andrew Sulllivan seems optimistic that the days of the extremists in both parties are numbered — or at least they’ve been fully exposed and weakened. … 

Finally, is there any way to push up the release date of Barney Frank’s posthumous new book? It might help Dems sort things out a bit before the midterms.

Update — 8.12.26 — Some good news, via the WSJ: “Left-Wing Surge Stalls in Wisconsin as Francesca Hong Narrowly Loses.”

Update II — 8.13.26 — From the WSJ (again): “Online Agitator Hasan Piker Is Driving Democrats Up a Wall.” … Think about it: an avowed Marxist is now a major influencer within the Dem party.

Some slightly off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed over the past week:

— An epic and accurate description of the Mass. economy: “A broken housing market, soaring costs, and Trump 2.0 are killing the Mass. economy. It’s time to do something about it” (Globe)

— But not all is lost when you still have companies like this: “A Mass.-based company could be key in breaking China’s hold on critical mineral processing” (WBUR)

— And here’s another promising firm: “Medical device company opens new manufacturing facility after $85M raise” (BBJ)

— It’s the shake-down phase of negotiations: “Transportation To-Do List for Revs Stadium” (B&T)

— No mention of struggling Massachusetts colleges, but you just know some are longingly looking at those funds: “The Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments to Pay the Bills” (WSJ)

— Well, if you have the money: “Longtime member buys South Shore golf course for $12M” (BBJ)

— Will no one rid us of these troublesome puritans? “Progressive political advocacy group criticizes MA Democrat for ‘veteran’ campaign sign” (Boston Herald)

— This is a painful article to read for those rooting for the American car industry to succeed: “Ford Made Boring Cars Popular. It doesn’t want them anymore” (WSJ)

— It’s about keeping weapon systems simple, stupid: “What Ukraine’s drone makers know that the Pentagon doesn’t” (Washington Post)

— My favorite story of the week: “Meet Jimmy Cash, Worcester’s funniest janitor” (WBUR)

The good news for Mike Minogue: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor. The bad news: he’s getting treated now as the presumptive GOP nominee for governor, as columns by the Globe’s Joan Vennochi and the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld show. … Re Joan’s column, I hadn’t seen the Globe’s March story about Abiomed’s past regulatory woes under Minogue. Setting aside those and more recent concerns, I question whether Minogue’s past ties with a medical-device company is as big of a plus as he thinks. People are not exactly happy with our ridiculously expensive health-care system of late.