BlueMassGroup endorses Deval

Following DFA's lead, the leading liberal blog of Massachusetts, BlueMassGroup, endorses Deval Patrick for governor:

Was it just a bunch of platitudes, however inspiring; or could he jump into policy, take some bold stands, and get into the nitty gritty? Patrick answered that starting last fall (months before any other candidate), by making a slew of specific, well-researched and well-argued policy positions:

He endorsed Cape Wind, going against the most powerful politicians in the state: Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney, and Tom Reilly. It was and is the right decision.

He came out in support of the health care ballot initiative that became the basis of the more ambitious House proposal, which eventually became the core of the new health care law -- the grandstanding of Governor Romney notwithstanding.

He expressed unequivocal support for marriage -- including same-sex unions -- drawing on his exerience enforcing civil rights.

He made a constructive proposal on merit pay in schools and skillfully navigated tricky political waters to do it.

He proposed $735 million of possible savings in the state budget. He drew on his Fortune 50 corporate experience to suggest better enforcement of rules, leveraging the state's buying power, and controlling earmarks, among other improvements.

He has endorsed an independent investigation for the Big Dig.

In addition to being long on substance, Patrick is an electrifying speaker....

Money or People?

From the Boston Globe:

Patrick has held the lead in most public polls since winning the Democratic Convention endorsement in early June. His two primary election opponents -- Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly and Christopher Gabrieli, a wealthy businessman -- have spent almost $4 million over the past four weeks in hope of improving their standings. Strategists familiar with polls in all the campaigns say the inroads by Reilly and Gabrieli have been slight.

...

The Democratic campaigns have not aired negative ads , though there are signs the campaign could get nasty. Over the weekend, the Globe published an internal Reilly campaign e-mail exchange that outlined how the attorney general's political aides were planning to promote the effort by a New York-based labor organizer, Ray Rogers, to discredit Patrick for his role as Coca-Cola's general counsel.
Patrick faces a tough battle to compete with Reilly and Gabrieli. Reilly, having spent close to $2 million since late July, has about $3 million left in his advertising budget, aides say. Gabrieli, a multimillionaire who has already used $5.4 million of his own money over the last four months to promote his candidacy, is spending close to $600,000 a week.

At this point, Gabrieli's ability to tap his personal fortune to pay for his campaign is considered the most important variable in the Democratic race, strategists said privately.
The Patrick campaign's antidote to the financial gap lies with its grass-roots effort. Taking a page from Howard Dean, Patrick spent money on a grass-roots organization, using the internet to link up supporters. The campaign says it has raised $1 million online since last fall, a quarter of its total fund-raising. It has just hired 12 new field coordinators for the last five weeks of the campaign.

What can we do to bring young people into politics?

What kinds of strategies and technologies will help us recruit new grassroots leaders?

Join Boston Drinking Liberally and activists from local Democracy for America chapters as we chat with Scott Goldstein, author of the exciting new book, "The Tea is in the Harbor". Scott will discuss his experiences working with Generation DFA, and his strategy for reaching out to young liberals and bringing them in to the political process. This will be a great chance to meet liberal dinkers and DFA activists from around the Boston area!Copies of the book will be available at Middlesex if you'd like to buy one.

See www.scottforamerica.com... for more information.

WHERE: Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts

WHEN: Aug. 8, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

RSVP: upcoming.org/event/95348...