Election elation

Seriously, is there someone I should thank for this delightful turmoil?

Actually, there is, isn't there? Thank you, Thomas F. Reilly, for the mistake that keeps on giving.

Yesterday, civic-minded multimillionaire Chris Gabrieli launched his own gubernatorial campaign, joining two other Democrats, an upstart Independent, and a Republican who has never been elected to any office on her own.

So who's next? Is Keith Foulke considering a campaign, now he's probably out as the Red Sox closer? Might Mitt Romney change his mind and stick around? Jane Swift? Can Whitey Bulger run for office as he's running from the law? What's most amazing is that with seven months until Election Day, there's an easily imagined scenario by which any of the five current candidates could win, meaning that what we have is a quagmire, in the absolute best sense of the word.

I arrived at that conclusion while sitting across from Gabrieli in a booth at Mul's Diner in Southie last week. Outside, the morning was raw and windy. Inside, fellow diners stopped by and warmly urged Gabrieli to run.

I asked him why he was doing it, why he was getting in at this late stage, dedicating what could amount to millions and millions of dollars from his own account. This is a guy who ran for Congress in 1998 and, by my back-of-the-envelope calculation, spent roughly a million bucks a vote.

As I finished the question, I got a sense of a bell ringing at the beginning of a thoroughbred race, the gate lifting, the horses thundering out.

And he's off. Gabrieli identified myriad problems. He offered unwavering opinions. He was a fount of ideas. He talked of the mediocre Massachusetts economy, the state's miserable job growth, his own work pushing for longer school days, his campaign to promote stem cell research.

At the end, I asked him to characterize his candidacy in a single sentence, and without hesitation he did me one better.

''Results," he said. Then, unable to stop himself, he added, ''All politicians say they're for helping poor children. I've actually gone out and helped poor children."

So let's cut right to it: Does Gabrieli have a charisma deficit? Is he an unelectable nerd? Walking down Broadway after breakfast, I noticed his slightly slump-shouldered gait and the tote umbrella he clutched in his hand, and, I thought, a minor makeover wouldn't be so bad.

But those who know him well dismiss this out of hand. ''Oh, Chris is a great guy," state Democratic Party chairman Philip W. Johnston said yesterday.

And what is charisma? Does Romney, master of the robotic, ''Good to see you" greeting, have it? Kerry Healey? Tom Reilly? Did Paul Cellucci have charisma? Mike Dukakis? Does it matter?

I have a theory, and it goes like this: We're doing a lot worse in Massachusetts than all the condominium developments and Boston high-rises make it seem. The rich are getting richer. The poor are sticking around because they don't have much choice. But the middle class is fleeing for better jobs and more affordable housing in more inviting climes.

People are tired of politicians who aren't good for their word. They're sick of governors who spend more time looking for their next job than preserving the jobs of those they're elected to serve. They want a leader with more substance than style, someone who can identify problems, work toward solutions, and pass the credit around. It seems as if it should be easy, but apparently it's not.

This opens a world of possibility for the candidates. Reilly, the lone nonmillionaire, has the most distinguished public service record. Deval Patrick is the vibrant newcomer embracing the left. Healey has a confident matter-of-factness that will serve her better than Democrats think. Christy Mihos is truly independent and wields a common touch.

And Gabrieli has far more of a track record than an ego. A good race got a whole lot better.

Brian McGrory is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at mcgrory@globe.com.