Seven weeks to history
THE TABLE IS set for a statewide campaign that, one way or the other, will bring new leadership to Massachusetts on Nov. 7. Whether the meal is nutritious and satisfying or a buffet of empty calories is the question.
Three televised debates already are scheduled between Democrat Deval Patrick and Republican Kerry Healey. That should be the minimum, given the importance of the race and the need to include the independent and Green Party hopefuls in at least one session. Christy Mihos and Grace Ross deserve a hearing in what voters hope will be a campaign of ideas, not slogans or cash.
Themes of change were resonant last night. Patrick, who carried every county in the state, told his throngs of supporters, ``We turned a political campaign into a movement for change."
And after demeaning ``Deval Patrick'skind of change" in her address to supporters last night, Healey planned today to release a booklet with ``50 Tough, Smart Solutions to Change Massachusetts." Healey is smart to lay down specific proposals, so that if she wins in November she will have a clear mandate to govern. This is a point Patrick also is sure to hone, to give more focus to his appealing -- but sometimes gauzy -- candidacy of hope. But though voters may be dazzled by the 50 ways to fix the state, most would be satisfied with far fewer solutions that actually happen.
This is where Patrick is strong: The former US assistant attorney general is a proven change agent in complex, tradition-bound organizations, from Texaco to the US Justice Department.
For 16 years voters have grown familiar with Republicans in the governor's seat to balance out the Democratic Legislature. Healey emphasized ``two-party democracy" in her speech last night. But Patrick is no party hack, and Healey is already distancing herself from her own albatross -- the politically expedient conservative positions taken by her boss, Mitt Romney.
If the campaign stays positive and on the issues, voters will have a clear choice. On everything from tax cuts to capital punishment to the Nantucket Sound wind farm, the two major party candidates are at odds. Healey signaled last night that her issues will be taxes and crime -- traditional Republican fare, especially given her running mate, former State Police commander Reed Hillman. Patrick's running mate, Worcester Mayor Timothy Murray, will help Patrick offer pragmatic ideas for local communities.
One thing is nearly certain: Voters will make history in November by electing either the first woman or first black governor of Massachusetts. That's reason enough to hope for a high-minded campaign, to satisfy a state hungry for progress. 