(Bumped -- yup, this is really happening. Good on RMG for having it before anyone else, AFAIK!
UPDATE: This comment at RMG made me laugh out loud.
Implications for the GOP???
What implications for the GOP? The occurrences in the Mass Gubernatorial race will have zero "implications" for the GOP nationally.... People in the rest of the United States aren't going to say "why, hey, look, the 'Republican' candidates in Massachusetts were liberals in favor of Abortion and Gay Marriage! One was even a gay guy! We should run Gay Liberal pro-Abortion Republicans in Ohio! That's a winning strategy!"
Pass the popcorn! :D - promoted by David)
RMG says Charlie Baker wants Senator Richard Tisei to be his running mate. This follows on the Globe's reporting on Friday that Tisei was at the top of Baker's short list, and also that Tisei "publicly disclosed yesterday that he is gay," presumably to avoid involuntary disclosures to that effect later on.
Predictably, some of the more socially conservative RMGers are less than thrilled about the choice -- Tisei, after all, not only has consistently voted in favor of same-sex marriage, but is also impure on taxes, having opposed a variety of tax-cutting measures over the years (back in 1990, Tisei opposed a Citizens for Limited Taxation petition "that would {have} roll{ed} back state taxes and fees to their 1988 levels," he opposed last year's proposed income tax repeal, and there may be other examples). He also got wrong a reporter's question about how many stripes are on the American flag. (He thought the answer was twenty.) Geez, the guy is pro-gay, pro-tax, and anti-flag. Is Tisei even an American? ;-)
But seriously, folks, if this is real, it's an interesting and risky move by Baker. Gov and Lt Gov candidates do not formally run as tickets in the primaries, so it's quite possible that even if Baker wins his primary, Tisei might not, so that Baker wouldn't actually end up paired with his "running mate" when it comes to the general election. That could be awkward. Of course, it's also possible that Christy Mihos will beat Baker in the primary, which could land us with a Mihos/Tisei ticket. And it leaves the socially conservative Republicans with nowhere to go, which probably means they'll stay home next November. There aren't that many of them here, but there are certainly some, and Republicans need every vote they can get to have any shot at winning, especially if Cahill stays in. Heck, maybe Cahill will try to outflank Baker on the right and pick up a few of those voters. |
