Maura Shows Who's Boss

Wednesday night's "town meeting" debate -- no direct interaction allowed between Hennigan and Menino, because Menino knows he can't handle it -- was a clear demonstration of how much better qualified Maura is for running the town. That is, if the qualifications for being mayor were intelligence and ability, not knowing how to run a goonish political machine.

Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix says it better than I can in his blog, Talking Politics:

There won't be any mayoral debates. Maura Hennigan made sure of that tonight by whipping Tom Menino in a "Boston Mayoral Town Meeting" (questions from the audience, but no direct candidate exchanges) that was televised on WGBH-TV's Greater Boston.

Some of the credit goes to Hennigan, who'd clearly prepped well and had her talking points down. In her opening statement, she hit Menino on two issues--his broken pledge to serve only two terms, and his failure to create a public-school system that satisfies the city's families--and she stayed on the offensive all night.

But Menino gave her plenty of help. Broadly speaking, he used two strategies when members of the audience quizzed him about problems in the city: blame someone else, or simply deny their existence. Nathan Spencer, a Brighton resident, asked Menino about skyrocketing housing costs driving out younger residents; Menino said, in essence, that the problem really isn't all that bad. Later, when Jadine Soo Hoo of Chinatown asked the mayor what could be done to create affordable housing in her neighborhood, he pointed the finger at other levels of government: "We don't have the partners we had in the past, when it came to giving us the availability of resources," Menino explained, sort of.

After a while, Hennigan picked up on Menino's approach and started to mock it. At one point late in the debate, a woman named Jody Holden suggested that the city create an independent review board to investigate tenant-rights issues. By way of an answer, Menino told her that the existing city framework is adequate. Hennigan's retort, which was directed at Holden, was spot on: "Obviously, you don't feel city government is responding to you, or you wouldn't have asked the question." After 12 years in office, Menino seems to be suffering from a Bush-esque inability to process criticism. He doesn't listen to it and reject it; instead, he just doesn't hear it.

Fortunately, the mayor had his machine to help him save face. Audience and media members who exited WGBH's studios onto Western Ave. were met by a throng of about 200 sign-toting Menino supporters, packed uncomfortably close to the doors and spilling out onto the street under the disinterested gaze of a Boston police officer. Moving through this crowd was a bit like running a gauntlet, and there was a definite intimidation component at work. It was a fitting end to the evening. After all, Tom Menino doesn't win elections with ideas--he wins them with political muscle.