Honestly, neither democratic candidate in the 4th Middlesex state senate primary has any deep liberal or progressive bona fides.
That having been said, Ken Donnelly's campaign will literally double the carbon footprint of Arlington Massachusetts with their protestations that their candidate is indeed an Allard Lowenstein incarnate.
The reality is, Ken Donnelly lifelong battle for "social and economic rights" was mostly fought on behalf of public sector unions and their dependents. Now those people need lobbyists to protect their interests on Beacon Hill that I concede, but that doesn't indicate that Donnelly has ever done much for the the declasse' likes of Humble Elias.
As for Jack Hurd, he is a proud townie, a consensus builder and a happy denizen of Arlington Town Hall which is, all in all, poor soil for an idealistic liberal to take root.
Ken Donnelly has lived two blocks from Humble Elias for over thirty five years and yet in all that time I heard nothing of his allegedly true blue progressive politics til he rose up out of obscurity to run for the state senate.
And Jack Hurd, I've known and gotten along well with the man for eighteen years, and until two months ago knew nothing of his pro-life,pro SSM and anti-death penalty stances.
Both men need to win and to do so they need Jim Marzilli's homeless liberals to seal the deal. And that my friends is the irony driving this race, that a disgraced, degraded and possibly jail-bound progressive icon is the ideological pace-setter in the 4th Middlesex.
All this does not make either man anathema, it does however behoove local liberals to question both men closely and listen intently. Ultimately, mere ideology may not be the deciding factor in this race. Money will certainly play a part but also personality, experience and other ephemeral qualities may come to the fore.
Watch and listen that is all the advice I can give my fellow liberals.
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