The 48-year-old Khazei offers a strong vision for success in the Senate, channeling the energy of activist groups and private-sector policy incubators while dedicating himself to the laborious task of building legislative coalitions. He offers a time-tested and relevant example of this approach: his two decades of work bringing together politicians of both parties and citizen-activists to develop a national service plan....
Extended to issues like health care, the environment, energy, and job training, this entrepreneurial model of progressive politics offers hope for real improvements. It moves away from Reagan-era skepticism about government without relying on traditional government programs to provide all the answers.
In supporting Khazei, the Globe believes that this state's future depends on new ideas. The next Massachusetts senator should be the person who best embodies forward-looking thinking, and not the traditional paths to power....
At this moment, he is more of an impassioned amateur than a seasoned pro. But his energy, idealism, and intelligence - combined with a grounded sense of how the Senate works - is unusual, and gives voters a chance to support a new, home-grown approach to politics. He isn't trying to line up just enough constituencies to eke out a win; he's asking voters to sign on to a vision - a less top-down, less programmatic way of improving people's lives. His emphasis on capturing the energy of private initiatives and translating it into the conventions of the Senate feels rooted in Massachusetts and the Kennedy legacy, but also appropriate to this moment in history.
Gotta say, I did not see this coming -- not because of anything on the merits, but because I don't associate the Globe with backing dark horses. Khazei may be running an impressive ground game and may have a plausible strategy, but I think all would agree that if he wins, it will be one of the greatest upsets in Massachusetts political history.
