Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Philip Johnston and state Republican Party Chairman Brian Cresta debated the two national parties and what they foresee for the Bay State’s November 2002 elections yesterday at Suffolk University.
Johnston discussed his views on the recent presidential election and how it affected the Democratic party.
“A terrible thing happened to the Democratic party in December of 2000,” Johnston said. “The election was stolen by the United States Supreme Court.”
“The November election is over,” Cresta refuted. “The voters decided the election.”
There were numerous recounts and with each one Bush actually picked up more votes, Cresta said.
However, Johnston also stated Massachusetts has an overwhelming number of Democrats in the state Legislature along with two Democratic U.S. senators.
“We do not have a two-party system. We have single party control,” Cresta said. “We don’t have balance. I think it is the Republican government that has tried over and over again to keep that balance.”
“It is unlikely that those numbers will change,” Johnston said.
Cresta also discussed the difficulty in having more Republicans.
“It is awfully hard to run against Democrats and Democrat incumbents in Massachusetts,” Cresta said.
Johnston remains hopeful the next governor of the Commonwealth will be a Democrat.
“Anyone who has worked in state government knows that it is the governor and the executive branch that really have the power,” Johnston said. “The Republicans have controlled the corner office since 1991, a very long 10 years. We as Democrats have not been able to capture that corner office.”
“The first Wednesday in 2002 will be an affirmation of the 10-plus years,” Cresta said. “In January 1991, Massachusetts was in total disarray,” Cresta said.
Cresta admitted that the Legislature had something to do with raising the standard of living in Massachusetts, but it was the vision and drive of the Republican party that solidified the improvement.
“Right now Massachusetts is in exciting times with the first woman governor, Jane Swift,” Cresta said.
Nevertheless, Cresta said he believes there is a double standard. If the new governor was a male and his wife was pregnant with twins, he would receive a slap on the back. But when it comes to women, he said, people wonder if she is fit to be governor.
Johnston acknowledged women have a hard time competing because they have a lack of access to money.
“Our party today is very sensitive to problems of women — trying to recruit and support them,” Johnston said. “There is something about culture in Massachusetts that has resisted not only women candidates but also minority candidates. I am doing everything I can to recruit women members.”
The way for the Democratic party to win is to come out of the primary as a united party, Johnston said.
“This will be a very tough race based on how the candidates articulate their vision how they will lead the state,” he said.
Johnston wants the voters to be proud of their public schools, have affordable health care, have a clean environment, have a woman’s right to choose in the future and ensure that everyone who needs and wants a job has one.
Cresta described the tax increase in the late 1980s as due, in part, to the lack of action on the issue by Democrats.
“Time after time again Democrats said, ‘We know what is good for you,’” Cresta said. “Sixty percent of the public, including Democrats said we know what we want: a tax break.”
Johnston admitted the Democratic party occasionally makes mistakes but said the party is never indifferent to the people. He said his ideal headline for the future would be, “Indifference has ended in Massachusetts.”
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