Citizens of Wisconsin risked their lives to vote last week. Because of actions by their state legislature, upheld by a 5-4 a Supreme Court decision, Wisconsin residents were forced to choose between exercising their right to cast a ballot and protecting their health – as well as the health of all with whom they come…
Category: Massachusetts Politics
Mass Pols for President Have the Right Training & Temperament
Deval Patrick’s decision to join the race late looks to me like an expression of determination that I share. Patrick, a two-term governor of Massachusetts, understands American politics, which is to say, he understands the necessity of practical, non-ideological, political leadership. I think Governor Patrick, Senator Warren, and even Governor Weld are determined to take…
“A Tale of Two Bills” or “Wingnut Trolling is a Bitch to Tackle”
Thanks to my Facebook friends I was alerted to two bills filed in the state legislature that have drawn some very counter-productive attention. The first one is a bill that would make verbally assaulting someone using the term “bitch” a finable offense in Massachusetts. The second would ban organized tackle football for children not yet…
Debbie Downer: Women in #MaPoli Style
Elizabeth Warren. Ayanna Pressley. Katherine Clark. Karen Polito. Maura Healey. Did you hear the news? Massachusetts, we are in the midst of a women and politics renaissance! After a span from 1983-2006 where no women served in the MA Congressional delegation, 36% of those currently serving now are — and they are among the highest…
Be Grateful: In Massachusetts politics we can still have nice things
I’m on all the mailing lists, electronic and otherwise. The communications from the MassGOP have never been particularly impressive, but under its current leadership the MassGOP has become a laughingstock. The MassGOP, perennially ineffectual, has understandably employed snark and disingenuousness as a regular feature of its rhetorical portfolio for a long time, but the strategic…
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.
The Rules Matter
I’m teaching courses on U.S. politics and Massachusetts politics this semester. When I talk about the national and state Constitutions, one of the things I stress is that these Constitutions are like the rules of the game, and the rules matter. Local charters are no different, and the events unfolding in Fall River over the…
Can Alex Morse Do What Ayanna Pressley Did?
Alex Morse, the 30 year old Mayor of Holyoke, will challenge Congressman Richie Neal in a Democratic primary next year. Observers are asking the same question about this race as they did about the 2018 challenges to Congressman Neal and Congressman Capuano. Is it about progressive insurgency or generational change in the Bay State’s establishment-friendly…
Mass Politics After the 2018 Elections: Still “Safe Harbor for Old School Pols & Politics”
Last spring I wrote a piece called “MASSPOLI#: Safe Harbor for Old School Pols & Politics” that began as follows: “American politics in 2018 is a hot mess. The Age of Trump will almost certainly be understood as a chaotic and terribly destructive time in American politics when our institutions were strained to the limit…
Pioneer Institute Introduces the Beamer vs. Beater Theory of Democracy
This week Pioneer Institute introduced a two tier structure of democracy for Massachusetts that we’ll call the Beamer vs. Beater Theory of Democracy. If you’re driving a Beamer you get all the voting rights of full citizenship. If you’re driving a Beater, you get some voting rights but don’t get to vote for school committee…