So why did Kerry Healey lose last fall's election, anyway?
Considering the fine mess Gov. Patrick has made of his credibility, it's hard to believe that he's the same man who defeated the former Lieutenant Governor by 21 points on November 7. If Gov. Patrick continues to make an embarrassment of himself in this fashion, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Healey could rise from the political ashes to successfully challenge him in the 2010 gubernatorial election (assuming, of course, that he does not decamp for a Cabinet position in a Democrat administration).
We all know the "conventional wisdom" about Healey--that she came across as too conceited, too "stuck up," and too out-of-touch to appeal to the Massachusetts electorate. However, after four years of Patrick's Little Lord Fauntleroy act, it will be hard to envision voters rejecting Healey as too arrogant.
Some Republicans would argue that the 2010 election should be an opportunity for a new figure to step up to the plate against Patrick. But who would that figure be? Let's face it, the Republican bench in this state is still woefully thin--and how many potential Republican challengers would have the financial advantages of Healey?
Healey would have another advantage in a rematch against Patrick: there's nothing new the Democrats can use to attack her. Having already accused her of bigotry, anti-immigrant sentiment, etc., they won't have any new charges to use against her--and the old charges will no longer stick.
Don't forget the polls that showed a majority of voters agreeing with Healey on critical issues. One can make the argument that the voters looked past those issues and went with Patrick because they legitimately believed that he could change politics as usual in Massachusetts. Now that it's clear he lacks the willingness to do so, will the voters fall for his act again?
If Healey runs again, she'll hear the catcalls from the same naysayers and skeptics who went after her in '06. Those critics were powered by the engine of "change," the irresistible force that was Patrick's momentum. In a Patrick vs. Healey rematch, that irresistible force will meet the immovable object of voter contempt--the outrage generated by Patrick's profound hubris. With anti-Patrick animus as a backdrop, the ground will be fertile for a Healey victory.
Those of us who supported Healey last year believed that she was in reality what Patrick was only made out to be--an effective public servant who would be a wise steward of the taxpayers' money. If she runs again in 2010, the same media and political entities that attacked her in '06 will try to destroy her again. It could be a David vs. Goliath battle. Of course, you do remember who won that fight, don't you?
UPDATE: Is Patrick really cracking down on illegal immigration? More from the Boston Phoenix, Red Mass. Group, Big Bish, Wizbang, Mass. GOP News and Michael Graham.
SECOND UPDATE: More from the Globe and the Herald.
THIRD UPDATE: More from the Globe and the Herald.
