In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I take a look at Governor Deval Patrick, who has found himself, for once, left out of the spotlight and off the front pages. In theory, the distraction of the local elections and US Senate race is providing a perfect respite for Patrick and his team to regroup, re-staff,strategize, prepare, and be ready to emerge with some political victories heading into his re-election year.

No question, the two GOP gubernatorial victories matter to the 16 million people who will now give a try at living under a Republican. But beyond that, can we say that yesterday's elections mean something?

I don't believe that they are predictive of what the 2010 election cycle will look like. But it could end up affecting behavior -- ending up making it predictive.

--I think Michael Flaherty ran a terrific campaign. Not much more that he could have done. It just wasn't in the cards.

--Ditto for Tito Jackson. And Carlos Henriquez. And Alex Selvig.

--And yes, I was wr.. wr... wr.... I was wr... wr... Damn! I was wrong about Boy Wonder Felix Arroyo.

--Biggest surprise, to people I spoke with last night (and to me): Steve Murphy's outstanding showing, nearly topping the at-large field.

Tom Menino's victory speech in the packed Fairmont Copley ballroom was as much cautionary as celebratory. The papers may write about a historic fifth term, he said; but "when we've put our residents in jobs, shops in vacant spaces, students through college, and this city past a fiscal downturn, then let's talk about history."

As of 3:00 this afternoon, just under 60,000 ballots had been cast in Boston -- a 16.7% turnout so far, with five hours left, including the after-work rush. Based on the trends in the preliminary -- which had a relatively high late vote -- we can expect roughly 115,000 votes.

One thing I'm looking for is where voting is up (or not) relative to the September preliminary -- and were those Menino strongholds or anti-Menino neighborhoods in the preliminary?

--The progressive Blue Mass Group blog/community, which opened a state PAC recently, commissioned a poll of the US Senate race. Taken Wednesday and Thursday, just after the first televised debate, the poll finds the race looks much like the Western Mass. poll showed before the debate: Coakley way ahead (but with soft support); Capuano and Pagliuca even; Khazei still on the starting blocks.

Gov. Patrick just announced his proposals for budget cuts in light of the $600m shortfall:

--No cuts to Ch. 70A (schools), higher ed, or local aid;

--Cutting $350m+ from executive branch agencies (specifics to come) -- which will affect services, he says;

--9 more unpaid furlough days for all non-union employees;

In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I have an "items" column, with three items about the Massachusetts US Senate race.

First, I look at the endorsements being made by local and state political officeholders -- really, a divide between Martha Coakley and Michael Capuano. In the article, I note that Congresswoman Niki Tsongas had not yet endorsed; after we went to press, Tsongas announced her endorsement of Coakley.

After looking at the chances for Republicans to add elected women governors and Senators in the 2010 election cycle, let's turn to the US House of Representatives.

There are now just 17 Republican women in the House, out of 177 -- down from 25 three years ago.

One of those 17 is not running for re-election: Mary Fallin, who is running for Governor of Oklahoma.

Continuing from my last post, where I looked at the GOP's chances of adding women Governors in the 2010 election cycle. Now, let's turn our attention to the US Senate.

This has been a particular embarrassment for the party, as they currently have just four women among their 40 Senators, down from five a couple of years ago -- and soon to be three, when Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns, as expected, to focus on her gubernatorial campaign.

Two problems for the national GOP that I've been writing about for several years are in evidence in a special election going on in upstate New York, for an open Congressional seat long held by a moderate Republican. The state GOP powers there maneuvered to nominate Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava -- or, as Michelle Malkin calls her, "radical leftist Dede Scozzafava."

As it happens, I am Facebook friends with, and a Twitter follower of, Michael Ross staffer Amy Derjue, dubbed today by the Boston Herald as the "poster girl for the on-the-clock cyber-slacking" that apparently infests our local governmental hackorama.

Derjue, as I have told her before, doesn't do enough posting during the day; if she's the worst offender, government employees are a lot more self-disciplined than I thought.

First off, and most importantly, I give best tie to Capuano. (Unfair to Coakley? Perhaps. She can participate; if she chooses a blouse and pearl necklace that's her decision.) Other thoughts:

--Clear winner in the debate: Scott Brown. The four Dems are tripping over each other to get as far left as possible, giving the presumptive Republican nominee (sorry, Jack E.

I was fascinated to see that Tom Menino just had a banner fortnight of fundraising, reporting $160,000 in campaign contributions between October 1 and 15 -- the bulk of it coming, by my count, from 269 people ponying up the legal maximum of $500. Fascinated, because I'm thinking: if you're going to pay fealty to the mayor, why wait this long to do it? Doesn't it kind of make you look like you were waiting, maybe hoping for a Flaherty win, until the September preliminary convinced you that you'd better play ball with now and future mayor Menino?