Thursday, October 06, 2005

Two Candidates in Two Days

Last week I had the opportunity to see two of the possible 2006 Democratic Gubernatorial candidates in two consecutive nights. On Wednesday, I popped into a Deval Patrick fundraiser in Boston and on Thursday, Secretary of State Bill Galvin spoke in front of the Watertown Democratic Town Committee. I had wanted to post about these events earlier, but pesky distractions like oral surgery and sewage-flooded basements intervened.

Patrick said much of what we've heard before, bringing up mostly his economic stimulus plan and his recently unveiled health care plan. One theme that resonated through the evening, though, was Patrick's willingness to engage the private sector in solving problems. Many Democrats fall into the trap that the Government is the be-all and end-all when looking for policy solutions. Not so with Patrick, who is determined to bring all of the players together when crafting his plans. Perhaps this is the way policy used to be crafted, but in today's hyperpolarized political atmosphere where people on both sides are certain that they have all the answers, it was refreshing to hear someone talk of compromise and thoughtfulness as a virtue. Patrick also told the audience that he wanted his candidacy to also be their candidacy. That is, he wants to know about people's concerns so he can be involved in solving real problems. This, I think, is why Patrick has gotten traction among some progressives. It's not because he's checked the right boxes in a list of policy positions; it's because he's willing to listen and he seems genuinely interested in getting the input of all of the stakeholders, not just the usual cadre of the politically connected and powerful.

On Thursday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin spoke in front of the Watertown Democrats. Fellow Watertown blogger H2OTown has some quotes from his hour-long talk. In light of recent news about state revenues, this quote is particularly relevant:

"While state revenues are going up recently, we continue to have very serious problems with the economy in Massachusetts; the main indicator of that is population loss, which I feel reflects loss of jobs. It's no secret the many companies that have moved out of the state."
I was also at the meeting and Galvin came across as wonkish, but capable. He was much better speaking off the cuff in a small group than I've seen him on television or in front of larger audiences giving prepared remarks. Galvin also spent a lot of time telling us that being an "insider" was an asset, since people familiar with the system are more likely to be able to maneuver within it to get things done. He admitted, however, that independent voters were unlikely to find that argument convincing. Galvin also advocated lifting the $500 per year contribution limit to be equal to the Federal limits under McCain-Feingold, which I happen to agree with. Campaigns are not getting cheaper, so limiting individual contributions just means that incumbents who have years to build up their campaign chests and people who can self-fund have huge advantages. While I'm loathe to inject even more money into campaigns, the current system makes it too hard for those who are not multi-millionaires to raise enough money to be competitive.