Just a little reminder that today is the special Senate election.
In past posts, My Southborough has bemoaned the lack of public participation in Southborough.
Some of you have responded (online or in person) that most local committees have very little influence on how your tax dollars are spent.
The same can’t be said for the U.S. Senate. So don’t forget to make your opinion count (or at the very least heard).
Polls are open until 8:00 pm. For more detail, see yesterday morning’s post.
Gabriel Gomez is not a perfect candidate. He is soft on a woman’s right to choose and I think he is too willing to let the government snoop into our private affairs.
I think he is right on the critical economic issues and I believe he will be at least willing to reach across the aisle.
Ed Markey in my opinion represents everything that is wrong with Washington. 37 years is too long to be in Congress. He is a party line doctrinaire Democrat that would rather try to trash Republicans that make real progress. If you like the way congress works then he is your man.
I am going to give Mr. Gomez his 17 months and try something different. I hope you will too.
What’s wrong with congress is the otherworldly agenda of uber conservative Republicans. The Republicans are in the majority now and are the party responsible for not reaching across the aisle. Keeping the Senate in Democratic hands is critical to the future of all our civil rights, which so many have fought hard for during the past 6 decades. Vote today and please vote for Ed Markey, unless you would like to turn back the clock to the 1950’s for both minorities and women.
The Democrats controlled both the House, Senate and Whitehouse. To what end. Overreach cost the Democrats the House !
The two-year majority that Republicans like to trot out every time someone talks about the current obstructionist congress is actually a myth. Obama has actually had a filibuster-proof majority for all of 10-23 days during the entirety of his two terms. I’ll post a link to the article that accounts for the exact number of days as per house records.
Ed Markey won far and square. I may not like it but that is reality. He won for 2 reasons:
First, the Democrats have a very very effective ground game that turn out voters likely to vote with them. No shame in that it is an important part of how elections are won. Kelly Rooney knocked on my door and asked for votes for Ed Markey. No Republican knocked on my door. The Republicans need to really up their game in this critical area. The results could have been different or at least much closer in a low turn out election if the Republicans had a ground game but the do not.
Second, somebody in the Republican party needs to understand that we actually live in Mass. Whether we like it or not this is a very liberal state. They are never going to win if they don’t adhere to a fairly tight line on a Womens right to choose and gun control. The bottom line is, like it or not, you cannot govern unless you can win and you can’t win if you are soft on abortion or an assault weapons ban.
Until the Republicans figure out how to deal with these issues they will remain a pointless rump party in our state and we will continue to have the disgrace that is single party “democracy”.
Sometimes standing up for principle is more important than winning. Gun control was not a significant issue in this election, not should it be, in Massachusetts there are ample laws. Federally most realize it was overreach that cause any changes to be defeated. As far as abortion, this issue was not even in play in this special election. But more importantly why do some wear the killing of the unborn as a badge of honor ?
“Sometimes standing up for principle is more important than winning.” I am afraid we are going to have to disagree if your principles keep you from ever winning then your principles are keeping the Democrats in power. That is the political reality.
I watched the debates and Markey slimed Gomez on both abortion and gun control and I am certain both cost him votes.
You can’t govern if you can’t win. In Mass being on the “wrong” side of these issues means you cannot win. Markey was a lackluster candidate at best. He was “beatable”. However, Gomez’s position on these issues meant that the election was a complete waste of money once the Democrats had crowned Markey.
If the Republicans can’t get a ground game and can’t field a candidate that is aligned with the majority of voters in this state on some hot button issues then there really is no reason to hold elections.
Sorry but I am a very pragmatic guy who would like to see some real competition.