This year’s governor’s race has been fraught with drama, from the defection of Tim Cahill’s running mate to support the Charlie Baker campaign, to a lawsuit by Cahill against former aides to accusations that members of the Patrick and Cahill campaigns were working together against Baker. Amid all the mudslinging, it has been difficult to look past the personalities to focus on policy.
But throughout the campaign process, one candidate has stood above all the rest for his experience, compassion and levelheadedness. For this reason, The Daily Free Press endorses Deval Patrick for governor of Massachusetts.
Although Patrick has had a difficult first term, failing to live up to all of the lofty expectations that he set for himself, he has matured greatly as a politician since his election as governor. Although he made several mistakes early in his first term, including lavish personal spending, it seems that he has learned from his mistake, and his time in office has better equipped him to handle the responsibilities of the job.
Under Patrick’s leadership, Massachusetts has fared far better than most other states through one of the longest economic recessions of the 21st century. Cuts in state spending and attempts to balance the budget helped Massachusetts avoid some of the worst problems that plagued many other states across the country.
In his time as governor, Patrick has made several key accomplishments. He signed an education reform bill that has raised standards and helped to begin turning around failing schools, propelling the public school system far beyond other states. He has also helped to crack down on government inefficiency and cut wasteful spending, while overseeing the implementation of the most comprehensive health care plan in the country, providing coverage to 97 percent of the state population.
His compassion toward his constituents, exemplified by actions such as his commitment to helping people keep their jobs, is a key quality that many politicians lack and is evident in all of his policies.
Although Baker seems on the surface to be a good choice, with his popular combination of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism, in reality he did not present a strong enough campaign to overcome Patrick’s reputability. He ultimately failed to present the people of Massachusetts with feasible solutions for the state’s problems.
While we admire Tim Cahill’s tenacity throughout the campaign, the reality is that he hasn’t shown how his policies are different enough to make him a viable third option, with many of his policies falling closely in line with Baker’s. Additionally, his stance on immigration is completely unreasonable. Not to mention that if Cahill wasn’t even capable of effectively running his own campaign staff, that does not bode well for his chances at running an entire state.
Both Baker and Cahill are running largely on the support of voter anger &- a campaign strategy that has been popular nationwide this fall. However, although we may be disappointed with some of the government’s failures, getting angry isn’t necessarily the solution. The answer instead lies in sensibly considering the issues and policies at hand, and Baker has proven that he has the best plan for the future of Massachusetts.
While Patrick may not be a perfect candidate, he is the best choice for the next governor of Massachusetts. Over the past four years he has served as a strong leader, and has earned the chance to continue his efforts.
In an earlier version of this article, the current century was incorrectly identified as the 20th century.
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