Plus, endorsements for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and the state ballot questions.
By EDITORIAL | November 2, 2006
After 16 years of Republican rule, it is time to return a Democrat and a leader with a sense of humanity to the governor’s office. It is in that spirit — and for other reasons as well — that we urge voters next week to vote for Deval Patrick. It will come as no surprise to regular readers of this page that we believe the reign of Mitt Romney has been a series of false starts and misconceived policies. Among his many disappointments, his first lay in choosing the supremely unqualified Kerry Healey to be his lieutenant governor. And his most defining action has been to surrender his office in all but name after only two years of service in order to pursue the Republican nomination for president. Massachusetts deserves better.Deval Patrick is an immensely inspiring talent. Just 18 months ago he was a political novelty, an outsider bent on showing the go-along-to-get-along elements of the Democratic Party that intelligence and integrity still hold strong appeal for Massachusetts’s voters. It looks like his gambit is going to pay off.
If it does, Patrick will have his work cut out for him. Some critics rightly point out that despite impressive service in President Bill Clinton’s Justice Department and his tenure in the upper reaches of corporate America, Patrick has never had a job in which the buck ultimately stopped with him. That, of course, is true. But few come to any governor’s office having held that sort of responsibility. What Patrick offers the citizens of Massachusetts is hope: that we can do better, that we will do better, that we can be better. That’s a tall order, but we believe Patrick is the man for the challenge. And his running mate, Worcester mayor Tim Murray, shows the able promise of helping Patrick redirect and re-energize state government.
Attorney General
Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley deserves your vote. Coakley is a fine prosecutor with solid progressive instincts. And that is critical because the attorney general’s office is largely about establishing legal priorities. Against what ills do you use your resources, the most important of which are the lawyers on the AG’s staff? Coakley will likely continue to prioritize the best of outgoing AG Tom Reilly’s efforts in the realms of consumer protection, child safety, and racial discrimination. Like others supporting her candidacy, we’re counting on her to be more aggressive on gay rights and health-care issues, and to take more-vigorous stands on political corruption — especially that black hole of special interests known as the Big Dig.
Secretary of State
Incumbent Bill Galvin may not be flashy, but he’s good, and he’s serious. Galvin deserves re-election.
Treasurer
It boggles the mind that the Republicans could not field a viable candidate to challenge incumbent Democrat Tim Cahill, who has done a competent job in his first term, but has not demonstrated great leadership in this important office. We would like to be able to recommend Green candidate James O’Keefe, a software engineer making his second run. But he is even less impressive. So we recommend a vote for Cahill in the hope that a second term will inspire the treasurer to better use his office to the economic benefit of the commonwealth’s citizens.
Related:
Martha’s quick start, Power hungry?, Giant shadow, More 
- Martha’s quick start
Martha Coakley told opponents of same-sex marriage this past week she would use the full force of her new office to fight their efforts.
- Power hungry?
It’s remarkable how dramatically the state’s political leadership has changed since the most recent Constitutional Convention.
- Giant shadow
One striking aspect of the Kennedy tributes was the focus on the help he and his office provided for ordinary individuals in Massachusetts — all those things that fall under the category of "constituent services."
- Financial fallout
The current US financial disaster will roil Massachusetts residents in myriad ways.
- Patrick’s to-do list
Deval Patrick has plenty to do in the first few months, what with choosing staff and building relationships. But even as that happens, there are issues that simply can’t wait for action.
- Deval and the lawmen
For the past few weeks, Kerry Healey has pounded the Bay State with the message that Deval Patrick is dangerously weak on crime. Soft on crime? Arrest rates for violent crimes have plummeted under the Romney-Healey administration. By David S. Bernstein
- Menino’s hit list
At a recent political event, Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino asked Robert Crane, the former long-time state treasurer, how many years he had held that office.
- Cash carousel
Even though the dollar has taken an international whupping of late, there remains at least one place where the love of the greenback remains strong: Beacon Hill.
- Gabrieli’s promise
If the Democrats are serious about recapturing the governor’s office, they should make sure their statewide convention this weekend puts Chris Gabrieli’s name on the ballot.
- Imagine all the Democrats
There are two big things worth knowing about the battle for the Democratic governor’s nomination. The race is a doozy and barely anyone cares.
- Grading the cabinet
As we watch President Barack Obama replace the federal government's old, unpopular, Republican department heads with fresh, bright talent, it's hard not to think back two years, to the start of Governor Deval Patrick's first term as governor of Massachusetts.
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The Editorial Page
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