(Hey if Steve Stark can do this, then so can Humble Elias, the only difference is, I won't write the same thing time after time!)
Anyhow, I gathered these impressions from last night's Arlington Town Democratic Çommittee candidate's debate, a interesting and suggestive affair despite the lack of any mix-em'-up.
Kenneth Donnelly: The retired Lexington firefighter is a relative newcomer to politics in the district, and it shows, he seems nervous and needs to dial down a bit and use his "indoor voice" for gatherings such as this. He repeats endlessly his plan to offer 40% of all state revenue as local aid to bail out the cities and towns once and for all. He plans to gin-up that 40% via casino gambling. He is on less solid ground when he gets off this topic, softball queries about global warming seem to slip right past him sans a swing. He must have said "I agree with Pat" three times over the course of a ninety minute debate.
State Representative Charles Murphy (Burlington): Polished, urbane, even occasionally witty, Murphy is big shiny Irishman whose style is very familiar to me as a longtime follower of State politics. With a Dick Cavett-like earnest-ness He compulsively dropped the names of local supporters of his candidacy all through-out the night trying to build up his image as the best Burlington-based friend Arlington has ever had. For all that I doubt Murphy could find Arlington on a map prior to Bob Havern's resignation some two months ago, if he gets elected to the seat, one doubts he will ever trouble himself with the town ever again save to hand out a few baubles to his friends.
State Representative Patrick Natale (Woburn): Earnest, geeky, new to the game but for all that a bit of a waffler on issues like casino gambling and reproductive rights among others. He made heavy use of qualifiers last night to string out his positions on the issues. He seemed likable enough but it is clear he is swimming in very deep waters with a very short resume.
Representative James Marzilli (Arlington) Marzilli is the policy grind of the bunch, he was a well thought out policy in mind from local aid for law enforcement down to what wildflowers to plant on the lane dividers on Mystic Street. He has some notable accomplishments that directly and positively impact the communities he seeks to represent in the state senate, he needs to keep harping on them relentlessly. Like Murphy he is polished, urbane and witty, but then the state legislature is tremendous education in the art of presentation.
Overall, this is a Murphy versus Marzilli fight, with Pat Natale doing some business in Woburn and Donnelly attempting to play the spoiler in Arlington where the heavy democratic turn out tends to overwhelm the district. Why Donnelly is even in this race is a mystery, as a candidate he seems better suited to blitzkreig an open state rep's seat (which might be happening if Marzilli is nominated & wins the special election), but as a senate candidate he comes out of nowhere and has lot of ground to cover in a very short space of time.
I think Natale will fade in the stretch if he keeps coming on like a likable waffler as he did last night, although he will do well in Woburn on election day depending on the breaks.
As for Charles Murphy, he is coming on like a big shiny Irish pol with his Marine Corps bona fides and nice pleasant rictus. As evidenced last night he has plenty of Burlington based volunteers, but then again that is his problem, Burlington turn out wise doesn't have the footprint of other communities in the district. For Murphy to prevail he has to turn out every last democrat, donkey and dog in Burlington and play big in Billerica and Lexington and then come in a hard second somewhere else. That seems like a tall order, smile or no smile.
For Jim Marzilli the story is somewhat the same, turn out Arlington in big numbers, carry Lexington and pick off what you can in Billerica and in the sundry bastions of your opponents. His game plan is complicated by Donnelly's candidacy (much backed by local pols who are longtime Marzilli opponents) and by Murphy's showy bid to grab off a piece of the action in Arlington. That having been said, in seventeen years as Arlington's state rep, Marzilli has beaten back four strong primary challenges and at least two strongly contested general elections (in democrat heavy Massachusetts this constitutes a nigh Napoleonic talent for the big fight)...so his ground game will be strong and competitive.
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