"Baker out to snuff Mihos challenge; Seeks decisive vote at GOP convention today" by Frank Phillips, Globe Staff | April 17, 2010
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker, confident he has the strong support of the party establishment and much of the rank-and-file, will take direct aim at rival Christy Mihos during today’s state GOP convention in Worcester, in hopes of avoiding a divisive primary election battle in September.
Baker’s campaign, believing Mihos’s support has eroded in recent weeks, is convinced that the Cape Cod convenience store owner is at risk of not getting the necessary 15 percent of the delegate vote to make the primary ballot. And campaign aides are using today’s convention to try to turn delegates away from him.
A key Baker strategy is to highlight how Mihos bolted the party in 2006 to run for governor as an independent, a move many Republicans believe undercut GOP nominee Kerry Healey and hurt Republican candidates for the Legislature. Baker has tapped Healey to nominate him today....
Earlier this week, the Baker campaign circulated a toughly worded letter that four Republican legislative candidates who ran for office 2006 wrote to delegates, accusing Mihos of having suppressed GOP votes and costing them their elections.
“It is particularly galling to us to see Christy Mihos running again for governor, this time supposedly as a Republican,’’ the four candidates wrote. “He turned his back on us, on you, and on the party.’’
Still, Republican insiders, including top Baker aides, privately say today’s vote for the gubernatorial endorsement is very difficult to predict, because it is not clear which delegates will be showing up. Mihos confidently predicts he will get between 20 and 30 percent.
The balloting for the gubernatorial endorsement is scheduled to take place early this afternoon.
The effort by the Baker campaign to avoid a primary battle picked up steam late this week, when delegates were called by a survey company conducting a so-called push poll targeting Baker’s running mate, Senate minority leader Richard Tisei. The questions focused on Tisei’s support of transgender rights legislation and abortion rights.
Related: Baker's Mate
Baker aides accuse Mihos, who is courting the conservative flank, of conducting the poll aimed at Tisei, who publicly declared he is gay when Baker chose him as his running mate. Mihos strongly denies any knowledge of the calls to delegates.
Mihos, whose candidacy has been hurt by reports of financial problems and staff turnover, said that the Baker campaign has targeted him with negative attacks....
Mihos also defended his 2006 strategy to run as an independent, saying the Republican Party, controlled at the time by former governor Mitt Romney and Healey, were blocking any challenge to Healey’s nomination. He said a gubernatorial primary this year — which the party has not seen since 1998 — would increase interest in the GOP and bring attention to candidates for other offices.
Still, Mihos, while declaring his allegiance to the GOP, is also promoting himself this year as a self-proclaimed party renegade.
“Certain Republicans who are running for office are running away from the patriot groups and the tea party people, but we are running straight for them,’’ Mihos said. “I am trying absolutely to try to get their support.’’
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Some of Baker’s advisers believe a primary contest would help Baker, who has never run for a major office, sharpen his campaign skills. Baker has acknowledged that he could use more practice honing his political pitch.
But others in Baker’s camp feel that a primary battle could potentially damage him politically and drain valuable resources, especially if Mihos again taps his personal funds to launch a major TV advertising campaign. They would prefer that Baker be able to focus between now and November solely on challenging Governor Deval Patrick and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who is running as an independent.
"Cahill says he’s there to greet delegates; Independent gets a mixed reception" by Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | April 17, 2010
WORCESTER — State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, a Democrat-turned-independent candidate for governor, does not have a convention of his own to attend this year, so he has decided, in a bit of political theater, to crash this weekend’s GOP convention at the DCU Center and the Democratic conclave here in June.
“It’s nice; I don’t have to give a speech, so I can have a beer,’’ said Cahill, grabbing a Coors Light from the bar.
Having a drink isn't helping him in my eyes.
Cahill’s plan to woo delegates on the outskirts of the GOP gathering, though, wasn’t sitting well with much of the party faithful converging here yesterday with hopes of electing a Republican to the corner office.
“I don’t care if he shows up with the
Ditto.
Republican Party officials say Cahill will not be allowed inside the convention itself, because he is not a delegate or an invited guest, and it was not entirely clear what Cahill planned to do. His campaign initially sent out an advisory saying he would greet delegates outside the DCU Center yesterday evening, but he never showed up....
A lot like his fraud of a campaign.
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Another party crasher:
"Brown gets a hero’s welcome; For supporters, he’s a symbol of renewed hope" by Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff | April 18, 2010
the prophet who would lead them to the promised land....
WTF, Globe?
Titular party leader in the state as he occupies a unique niche in the nation’s political consciousness: a self-described independent Republican from a liberal Democratic state....
Maybe not as much as your bubbled existence thinks, Globe.
As the only Republican in the state’s 12-member congressional delegation, Brown said he has developed “a very positive relationship’’ with John F. Kerry, the state’s senior senator. Brown and Kerry have socialized with their wives “a couple of times,’’ Brown said.....
Translation: Brown is fitting in nicely.
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Also see: Who Bought Brown's Election?
Related: With shouts, a giddy old party greets a new friend: Hope
Chairwoman rekindles state party
"Baker romps, Mihos is out; Candidate wins 89% of vote and avoids a primary fight" by Frank Phillips and Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | April 18, 2010
WORCESTER — Massachusetts Republicans gave an overwhelming endorsement to gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker at their state convention yesterday, giving him a massive margin that forces GOP rival Christy Mihos out of the race and frees him from what could have been a bitterly divisive primary battle.
In an impressive display of support among party leaders and activists, Baker won 89 percent of the delegate votes, while Mihos got 11 percent, falling well short of the 15 percent threshold needed to qualify for the September primary ballot. GOP leaders said Baker’s margin was the biggest in recent convention history.
Baker, who has been the party establishment’s favored candidate to retake the governor’s office, claimed victory late in the afternoon surrounded by his parents, wife, and children, as red, white, and blue confetti and balloons rained on the crowd inside the DCU Center....
The convention endorsed Mary Z. Connaughton, an accountant and former Turnpike Authority board member, for state auditor, with 85 percent of the vote. But her rival, Kamal Jain, a candidate inspired by Ron Paul, the libertarian conservative, slipped through to the primary by one vote on a recount, party officials said....
I see who MY SELECTION for AUDITOR will be in the PRIMARY!!!!
Field cleared for Patrick, too:
"Lacking enough signatures, Ross exits governor’s race" by Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | May 20, 2010
On the rain-slicked steps of the State House, long shot gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross yesterday ended her bid for the Democratic nomination after failing to gather enough signatures to make the ballot.
The announcement was not a surprise, with Ross acknowledging in recent days that she might fall short of the 10,000 certified voter signatures she needed to qualify....
As she abandoned her bid yesterday, Ross, a longtime activist who ran for governor on the Green-Rainbow ticket in 2006, struck a defiant tone.
“I think it’s really important for the people of Massachusetts not to give up hope,’’ she said. “There is so much anger on the ground.’’
Hi, readers.
Ross also said voters are becoming disillusioned with a government “that’s not about us.’’
Yes, and THEY KNOW IT!
With Ross out, that leaves Governor Deval Patrick without a challenger in the Democratic primary....
At this point, Patrick is set to compete against three general election challengers: Charles D. Baker, a Republican; state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who is running as an independent; and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein, a potential threat in a close race who could take liberal votes from Patrick....
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Related:
"Jill Stein, the Green-Rainbow Party candidate, said she would eliminate tax incentives for corporations, including those for
Good luck with that one. I agree, but.... campaign ca$h.
She said she would freeze corporate tax rates, which are set to fall under state law.
We have too many taxes as it is!
Related: Slow Saturday Special: State Defies the Fed
Not by halting payments to banks (that gets you ousted like Blagovich), but by RAISING TAXES!
And she vowed to eliminate tax incentives for the film and biotech industries, which she argued have not been cost-effective.
Meaning we have LOST LOOT on the DEAL, taxpayers!
See what INTERESTS our government SERVES?
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And you can't not be this ignorant, can you, Massachusetts?
Based on the people around here, yeah, they can.
"GOP attacks sting Cahill in new poll" by Frank Phillips, Globe Staff | May 13, 2010
Related: The Collapse of the Cahill Campaign
Patrick’s numbers, meanwhile, improved from 35 percent to 45 percent, and Baker’s numbers rose from 27 percent to 31 percent. The automated survey of 500 likely voters was conducted Monday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Patrick’s surge is a positive sign for him. Just months ago, the governor was thought by many in both parties to be facing very tough odds in his reelection bid. Still, half of respondents in the Rasmussen poll said they disapproved of the job he was doing....
Incumbents out.
"Patrick keeps lead in new poll on gubernatorial race" by Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | May 26, 2010
Governor Deval Patrick continues to hold a lead over his three challengers in the governor’s race, with rival Timothy P. Cahill stuck deep in third place, according to a new Suffolk University/7News poll.
In the poll, Patrick won support from 42 percent of respondents, compared with 29 percent for Republican Charles D. Baker and 14 percent for Cahill, the state treasurer who is running as an independent. Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein picked up 8 percent, while 7 percent of voters said they were undecided.
The findings affirm the results of a poll two weeks ago by Rasmussen Reports, which provided the first indication that Patrick, who was seen as struggling to win reelection, had picked up steam, while Cahill had slipped badly....
The Rasmussen poll, which did not include Stein, showed Patrick at 45 percent, Baker at 31 percent, and Cahill at 14 percent.
David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said the latest poll shows Cahill’s decline has been a “clear net positive’’ for Patrick, even though past polling data indicated Baker would pick up most former Cahill voters.
I smell a STINK, don't you?
Baker, who has been raising more money than others in the race, is still relatively unknown, according to the poll. Sixty-three percent of voters have no opinion of Baker or have never heard of him, the survey showed.
Then HE SHOULD WIN in NOVEMBER!!
ALL INCUMBENTS OUT and VOTE THIRD PARTY when you can!!
“Who was the net beneficiary over the last four weeks?’’ said Paleologos. “It was Deval Patrick, and that’s significant because the undecideds are getting dangerously low here, and it forces Baker to make the case for himself and try somehow to appeal to the Cahill and Stein voters who are currently not in his column.’’
The poll indicates some problems for Patrick. His favorability rating is 45 percent, with 46 percent of respondents viewing him unfavorably. That is an improvement from a Suffolk poll in February, which showed him with a 38 percent favorability rating.
And it has been lower than that.
Why hide, Globe?
But Baker and Cahill have their own problems with voters....
Voters’ views of Baker have not changed much, the Suffolk poll indicates, with a third still undecided on him. His favorability rating is 20 percent, compared with 18 percent three months ago, numbers that reflect his relative anonymity in the race. His unfavorability rating rose from 12 to 17 percent.
The poll of 500 registered voters was conducted Thursday to Sunday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
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Given the Globe's track record (Coakley was to win by double-digits) I'll grain of salt that.
Related: Boston Globe Still in its Liberal Bubble
And Baker is trying to reach out:
Wendy’s asked, “Where’s the beef?’’ The dairy industry posed the question, “Got milk?’’ And now, Charles D. Baker, Republican gubernatorial candidate, is hoping to coin a slogan of his own, asking voters, “Had enough?’’
More than, Chuck.
Baker, in an attempt to rebrand his campaign, rolled out the catchphrase yesterday on a website and bumper stickers and in an online ad, Twitter messages, and in the start of a 10-community tour promoting the notion that voters have “had enough’’ of Governor Deval Patrick and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill....
We most certainly have:
Massachusetts Governor Maligns Obama Opponents as Insurgents
Patrick the prick!
Voters, local officials, and business owners have told Baker they are fed up with tax increases, local aid cuts, and “the lack of imagination’’ in state government....
You know where that tax loot is going.
After stops in Framingham and Chicopee, Baker plans to continue his “Had Enough?’’ tour today in Worcester and Lowell, with more stops on Wednesday and Thursday....
Yeah, Globe doesn't follow up on those.
Patrick scheduled a press conference yesterday to try to upstage Baker’s effort....
Which the Globe spends the rest of the article on, so.....
