It's surely better than waking up with a cartoon-character tattoo on your cheek that wasn't there before. But how do these political topics carry us (me) away?I see that Ryan has joined me at his blog and BMG in the what-is-to-be-done discussion of State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson. Two years ago, during Sonia Chang-Díaz' scant loss on her first run at the Second Suffolk seat, I endorsed the challenger.
This run, our Left Ahead! podcast with Chang-Díaz confirmed my sense she'd be a fine replacement, one without the baggage and flaws. I have expressed moderate concern that she'd have some ramp time renewing her relationships on Beacon Hill, but that will be measured a month or maybe just weeks. She knows those people and the Hill's processes.
I didn't really mean to, but during Wilkerson's recent plea deal on campaign finances, I was looking at the candidates again, here and here. We've had no response through her campaign site for a podcast request. We'd certainly let her have her say. Otherwise, I'd like to see this primary conclude.
Now I've run a couple of posts comparing the pair. Their positions are very similarly progressive. Voters will have to choose their primary candidate on those personal differentiators — trust, ethics, morality and other judgments.
Wilkerson seems insistent on testing the loyalty of her supporters, particularly Boston's black community as well as some GLBT leaders and publications. Over years, she's left them and the rest of us wondering whether she'd get indicted on various criminal or financial charges. The kindest have said they hope trying to straighten out her life and bank accounts is not so distracting that she couldn't do her important legislative work.
So, we're basically a month from that decision. It's real plain to me what it should be. On the other hand, I've heard and read from many who use loyalty metaphors. Wilkerson has been on the correct side of many votes for many years...we owe her. She supported GLBT issues when that was unpopular...we owe her. She's no legislative leader, but you can count on her vote and voice...we owe her.
We have paid her with election and reelection for many years. That's what we owed her. We have given her huge amounts of slack in one crisis of her own making after another. I'm not so sure how much of that we owed her. We have said, "Okay. This time, she's learned to behave," how many times?
I am a sincere man from the land of the linden trees. As befitting my country background and city experience, some thing are just that simple for me. For example, even before Deval Patrick became our governor, I called for repeal of those 1913 laws limiting marriage here by out-of-state couples, as well as cleaning up the marriage wording in Chapter 207. Those were obvious, as the cliché runs, low-hanging fruit that should have been picked in his first couple months in office. That took the better part of two years.
Likewise, the obvious to me here is that Wilkerson has had more than her share of rewards and opportunity for self-policing. She has shown repeatedly that she can't learn. It's time for the handshake, hug and thank you.
I'd like to write that someone should stop me, that I'm tired of this, but the primary will end up doing that.
Tags: massmarrier, Massachusetts, senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz, Dianne Wilkerson, Second Suffolk
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