Deval Patrick is the candidate to beat in today’s primary elections, and I’ll be darned if I can figure out the basis for his popularity.
He is, for example, okay with keeping the cap on the number of charter schools in Massachusetts, and against merit pay for teachers.
While against rolling back the state income tax rate, he’s for allowing cities and towns to impose local meals taxes.
He’s for giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and giving their children the benefit of state tuition rates (about 1/4 the cost of attending college). He’s against sending a ballot initiative on gay marriage to the voters and against casinos.
I really wonder how many Democrats and Independents know Patrick’s position on these issues. As far as I’m concerned, Deval Patrick is a “have” whose policies are solidly anti-middle class, a meddlesome Liberal who wants to impose his Hillary Clintonesque values on other people.
The bets are in that he’ll be the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and, given the pathetic showing of the Healey/Hillman campaign, the next governor.
Here’s hoping that Christy Mihos, the Independent candidate, pulls off a miracle.