Since 1949...

(feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) exactly ONE Mayor of Boston has been denied re-election by the city's voters, and that was James Michael Curley who as we all know was a great connoisseur of bribes. In fact since the end of WW II exactly six men have served as Mayor of Boston rate of turnover roughly compatible with the General Secretaryship of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Well, it is a strong mayor system I'm not denying that, and Boston's electorate is notorious for getting thoroughly comfortable with all manner of mayors, nonetheless did the founding fathers ever intend for de-facto lifetime sinecures for elected officials?
Into this maelstrom steps Mayor Tom Menino in search of his fifth term in office. He is likable, low key and with many many friends all over the city...in fact Tom Menino is unique in that I've yet to find anyone who actively dislikes him, the way I've jumped ugly on Mitt Romney nigh these seven years.
Certainly that makes him a political oddity in Massachusetts...the punditry clearly think he is played out, but the voters like him they way they prefer ice cream on a humid day.
The man does have formidable political skills, hardly a block party or wake goes down thats for an appearance by the Mayor...he may mumble but he has a sharp capacity for retail politics.
Yesterday Michael Flaherty (one of the three men running against Menino) was on the Jeff Santos show on 1510AM. He was sincere, well informed, funny...Maybe not the sort of candidate Humble Elias would necessary vote for, but I do not begrudge his desire to serve in any way.
But will he or Sam Yoon or Kevin McCrea make even a dent in Tom Menino this fall?
Hell no.
Should that matter?
Yes...does any of that register with the Mayor or the voters, again no.
That is the reality here, Menino is almost bulletproof barring a carnal romp with a billy goat, incumbency ought not to be tantamount to election but it is in Boston and maybe we ought to start discussing that in a free and fair manner.