In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Lewiston last week, Maine Representative Jared Golden publicly acknowledged his previous rejection of federal bans on assault weapons was a failure. His Democratic colleague, Massachusetts Representative Lori Trahan took to social media to declare his statement an example of “Courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Selfless…
Author: Peter Ubertaccio
The definitive list of #MaPoli endorsements
Every election year in Massachusetts, I update my piece on political endorsements in the Commonwealth. Note that the categories below are not mutually exclusive. Sometimes a Small Circle of Friends is also A Perfect Storm. Herewith, the #Mapoli endorsement hierarchy in order of importance: The Perfect Storm Endorsement: For Democrats, this comes in the form…
ProfessorU is not happy with changes to Route 6 on Cape Cod
Warning: the author is suffering from pandemic fatigue and seasonal disorder, which, for a Cape Codder, means missing the sun, sand between your toes, lobster stew, and sparking tonic with your gin. Still, as I recently travelled Route 6 on the Cape, I found myself shaking my head in resignation at the absurdity of our…
#MaPoli Endorsements: the definitive list
Forget silly season or the dog days of August. With just over a month before our primary election and a few months before the general election, campaigns and candidates are in the midst of Endorsement Season. Every election year in Massachusetts, I re-up my piece on political endorsements in the Commonwealth. Note that the categories…
Charlie Baker, Independent?
Adrian Walker gave Republicans of the Charlie Baker vein something to consider this week by suggesting the Governor leave the party of Donald Trump.
Advantage Baker
There are still advantages to being an incumbent, and they were on full display last night as Governor Charlie Baker and Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez debated for the first time on WBZ. The advantages had little to do with the content of the debate, an informative back and forth between two nominees of substance. It…
We live in a democracy
We live in a democracy. It seems silly to have to remind each other of this, but I notice a trend on social media and elsewhere of snarky comments targeting those who raise concerns about democratic norms. It goes something like this: Commentator: “A President who lost the popular vote nominates a Justice for the…
Margaret Heckler: she didn’t wait her turn
Margaret Heckler didn’t wait her turn. Had she done so, she may well have never scaled the heights of American politics from Congress to the Cabinet to an Ambassadorship.
#MaPoli Endorsements: the definitive list
Forget silly season or the dog days of August. With just over a month before our primary election and a few months before the general election, campaigns and candidates are in the midst of Endorsement Season. Every election year in Massachusetts, I re-up my piece on political endorsements in the Commonwealth. Note that the categories…
Why I fall in love with old Cape Cod
You know what’s perfect in the summer? Cape Cod. For all the obvious reasons: sun and sand, gin and tonics on a warm evening, seafood, shark sightings, fireworks, fishing, and sailing. But for this political scientist, a summer on the Cape brings another joy: the prospect of competitive elections this fall.