The last Massachusetts gubernatorial debate was far more entertaining and substantive than any of the others.
Could be because unlike the earlier debates that were hamstrung by tedious talking heads, the candidates themselves did the questioning.
Could be because Cokie Roberts was a superb moderator, maintaining control of the proceedings while allowing just enough drama to keep the hour interesting.
Of all the candidates, Grace Ross, the little lady with the glasses and funny scarves, came across as the only one with enough intellectual firepower to do the job.
I’d love to see Grace go mano a mano with the leadership of the State legislature. She’s got the brains and the gumption to do so.
Deval Patrick is going to be the next governor, and I think that’s a shame. In spite of his early youth sob story, Deval was born lucky: good-looking and charismatic enough to be given – that’s right, given – a first-class, private school education at Milton Academy and then Harvard.
He worked his assets into high-paying corporate jobs that have made him a millionaire. But he’s vowed to keep the cap on charter schools, thus denying others an opportunity even one tenth as valuable as the one he received.
Anyone who’s ever lost their job over petty politics can empathize with Christy Mihos, who has made his personal vendetta against the Romney/Healey administration a public spectacle. The problem with Christy is that he’s a one-trick pony. He’s right about the Big Dig, but seems to lack interest in just about everything else.
As for Kerry Healey: as my son said, there’s a reason why they call her “Muffy”. I’ve supported her up to now, but her befuddled performance last night was yet one more embarassment. DA candidate Martha Coakley has the creds and, more importantly, the context to make fighting crime her primary message. A governor needs to do a lot more than that, and Kerry just hasn’t made her case.
So, I’m voting for Grace, even though she has no chance in heck of being elected.
Deval would be a delightful guest at a cocktail party. Kerry would be a good neighbor. But Grace has the ideas, the ability to think quickly on her feet, the poise, the commitment and the intelligence to be an excellent governor.