As a supporter of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, I have been following with great interest the controversy surrounding the “Casino Bill” as it moved through the Massachusetts legislature. For people unfamiliar with the importance of the bill to Massachusetts, currently the state millions of dollars every year to bordering states who host world caliber gambling casinos. Obviously, the Massachusetts Casino Bill would bring thousands of jobs and millions into the state once the bill was passed and signed into law. Recently the legislature finally completed work on the Bill and was ready to present it to the Governor for his signature. What happened next continues below the fold.
As the press reported that the Casino Bill was on its way to the Governor, Governor Patrick announced that he could not sign the Bill as he had objections to certain provisions in the Bill which allow slot machines at race tracks. For a period of time there was intense negotiation between the Legislature and the Governor’s office as to the exact number of race tracks that would be allowed to have slot machines under the Bill. It appeared that the legislature finally gave in and set the limit of slot machines to two race tracks, something the Governor had been demanding. The press was excitedly making plans to provide extensive coverage of the long awaited signing, when the Governor suddenly announce that he could not sign the bill with ANY slot machines at race tracks, period. SMACK..BAM….the Bill was dead, at least for this year.
Like all Democratic politicians in this JOBLESS economy, Deval Patrick is in a tough election for re-election and certainly NEEDS every vote that he can get. Massachusetts labor unions did everything they could to convince Patrick to sign the Bill. I for one could not understand Patrick’s objections to slot machines at race tracks, at least not in these tough economic times where jobs are golden. Further, his refusal to sign the Casino Bill has certainly pissed off all of the unions throughout the state, and how the hell are you going to elected to the Governor’s office without the strong backing of the unions in Massachusetts? In his first election, Deval Patrick created a strong base not only among white upper class Democrats and Independents, but also in all of the minority neighborhoods of Boston, Worcester and Springfield. So leading up to his historic election, Deval Patrick bumper stickers were everywhere. With some 56 days to go before the next election, the atmosphere here in Massachusetts is much more subdued and Patrick is facing three challengers. However, with virtually no union support and signs of little or no organizing in the minority neighborhoods, it looks like a tough slog this time for Governor Patrick.
The reason why I am writing this post about the Massaachusetts Governor’s race, is because I see a certain similarity in political decisions between the two political friends, Deval Patrick and Barack Obama. Now it is certainly well understood that it is impossible to compare the pressures associated with the office of the President with the responsibilities of a state Governor. What I am highlighting is their approach to the age old art of practicing “good old down to earth politics”. Both Deval and Barack campaigned on a platform of “hope”, and both achieved the historic goal of becoming the “First African American” to be voted into their respective offices.
Unfortunately both ignored their respective political bases and thus failed to exercise the number 1 rule in state or national office, always stay present and active with your political base, for without your base your are just a power of one! Many of us who have spent a lot of time commenting here have written exhaustively imploring President Obama to remember his base, those who put him in office. Now it is the final leg of the midterm elections race and the question is does Deval and Barack have enough time left to effectively rally their respective political bases and stave off a recession driven jobless angry population of American voters?
