Where were Romney and Reilly?
The biggest event for political hobnobbery in western Massachusetts is Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe's annual picnic at Six Flags amusement park in Agawam. Its a must-attend-event for local and regional candidates of both main parties -- and for candidates for statewide office. When prominent candidates don't show, it can raise interesting questions.
This year, over 2,500 people attended, with several hundred present at any one time for the all-day hot dog, clams & beer fest. The event is so big that guests have to take a shuttle bus from the parking lot, and the arrival of dignitaries is announced over a p.a. system.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick and his campaign were out in force. Lt. Governor Kerry Healey was there. Governor's Councilor Peter Vickery and his campaign manager Leo Maley were there. Springfield Mayor Charlie Ryan and his mayoral challenger, School Committee Vice Chairman Thomas Ashe were there -- so was U.S. Rep. John Olver and state Secretary of Public Safety Edward Flynn. Scores of local elected officials and candidates for offices at all levels -- such as Pat Duffy, who is running for an at large city council seat in Holyoke -- were there. The Springfield Republican, and other area media were there. Even Republican State Senate Minority Leader Brian Lees of East Longmeadow was there.
Blogger Kristen @ The Fray has picnic pics of Patrick, Healey and other pols. But Governor Mitt Romney is not in any of the pictures, most likely because he wasn't there -- nor were any stand-ins, activists or staff for his, ahem, reelection campaign. Bloggers Sco and Beyond 495 are discussing Romney's desire to spend a lot more time in New Hampshire, since he is evidently not running for reelection and is cranking up an increasingly improbable run for president. Sco writes: "The thing is, Romney's already announced his intentions in dozens of small ways without actual words, and we've seen him become more and more irrelevant to state government." But Kerry Healey who wants Romney's job if he runs for president -- and publicly said so -- was a very visible presence at Sheriff Ashe's picnic.
Romney's priorities seem clear. But what about Tom Reilly, the supposed front-runner for the Democratic nomination for governor? The Springfield Republican reports that Reilly was ill. But isn't it odd that the Reilly campaign was invisible -- if they were present at all? No one I talked to spotted them and there is no mention of the campaign in the Republican's account. Stranger still, the Reilly campaign website shows little campaign activity. If you click on Attend an Event on the menu, you can sign up to attend a meeting of the Democratic State Committee in Pittsfield on July 23rd. Yup, thats right. The last Reilly public event was on July 23rd.
I wonder what's up with the Reilly campaign?
This year, over 2,500 people attended, with several hundred present at any one time for the all-day hot dog, clams & beer fest. The event is so big that guests have to take a shuttle bus from the parking lot, and the arrival of dignitaries is announced over a p.a. system.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick and his campaign were out in force. Lt. Governor Kerry Healey was there. Governor's Councilor Peter Vickery and his campaign manager Leo Maley were there. Springfield Mayor Charlie Ryan and his mayoral challenger, School Committee Vice Chairman Thomas Ashe were there -- so was U.S. Rep. John Olver and state Secretary of Public Safety Edward Flynn. Scores of local elected officials and candidates for offices at all levels -- such as Pat Duffy, who is running for an at large city council seat in Holyoke -- were there. The Springfield Republican, and other area media were there. Even Republican State Senate Minority Leader Brian Lees of East Longmeadow was there.
Blogger Kristen @ The Fray has picnic pics of Patrick, Healey and other pols. But Governor Mitt Romney is not in any of the pictures, most likely because he wasn't there -- nor were any stand-ins, activists or staff for his, ahem, reelection campaign. Bloggers Sco and Beyond 495 are discussing Romney's desire to spend a lot more time in New Hampshire, since he is evidently not running for reelection and is cranking up an increasingly improbable run for president. Sco writes: "The thing is, Romney's already announced his intentions in dozens of small ways without actual words, and we've seen him become more and more irrelevant to state government." But Kerry Healey who wants Romney's job if he runs for president -- and publicly said so -- was a very visible presence at Sheriff Ashe's picnic.
Romney's priorities seem clear. But what about Tom Reilly, the supposed front-runner for the Democratic nomination for governor? The Springfield Republican reports that Reilly was ill. But isn't it odd that the Reilly campaign was invisible -- if they were present at all? No one I talked to spotted them and there is no mention of the campaign in the Republican's account. Stranger still, the Reilly campaign website shows little campaign activity. If you click on Attend an Event on the menu, you can sign up to attend a meeting of the Democratic State Committee in Pittsfield on July 23rd. Yup, thats right. The last Reilly public event was on July 23rd.
I wonder what's up with the Reilly campaign?
posted by Frederick Clarkson at 10:30 PM
1 Comments:
I also wonder what is up with the Reilly campaign. I go to a monthly political coalition meeting that has various candidates as speakers. Reilly was scheduled to appear, but cancelled for no particular reason. I could tell that the organizer of the group was completely annoyed by this.
The organizer made the point that groups like this coalition made it easy for candidates to reach out to the activists that can help-them-with-their-campaigns. The candidates, however, need to show up.
On the other hand, if Reilly is ill, than that would be a very good excuse not to attend.
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