Last week I attended the annual Cape Cod Republican Club meeting, so I thought I’d share some brief thoughts on it.
The bulk of the meeting gave several local GOP candidates for elected office a chance to make a quick introduction, chat themselves up, offer the usual Rah-Rah Let’s Go Team rally rhetoric, and of course, some obligatory Democrat bashing.
That’s the only real issue I had with the evening. Yes, folks were playing to the audience, but tacit slams like calling the GOP “the party that loves America” or direct slaps like claiming that Democrats never read the Declaration of Independence are petty and demeaning.
I’ve never cared for the strategy of building one’s self up by tearing the other guy down, and historically neither have voters; a lot of candidates on both sides – I’ll provide examples of each in Kerry M. Healey in 2006 and Martha Coakley in 2010 – have gone down to defeat thanks in part to their rampant negativity.
On a more positive note, I must say it was a shrewd move on the club’s part to keep its current leadership team intact through November. With Fran Manzelli in the lead the club has seen some great strides forward since last year, and changing horses mid-stream could have thrown things off during what is shaping up to be a critical year for the party.
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The evening’s guest speaker, state auditor candidate Mary Z. Connaughton, finally has her campaign website up. That’s at www.maryforauditor.com.
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I also learned at the meeting that there is a Republican candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, a chap named Joseph A. Ureneck.
My Google searches have turned up some odd information about Mr. Ureneck, such as a lawsuit filed against him by a client of his when he ran a business called Rainbow International Marriage Service Incorporated – basically, a mail-order bride operation that hooked Chinese women up with American men. Mr. Ureneck sued a Chinese client for failing to pay her $7,500 listing fee.
For the curious: he lost the lawsuit on the grounds such international marriage contracts were, as of the 2003 ruling, not recognized as valid in the United States.
Man, just when you think you’ve seen it all, huh?
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Final note on the meeting: I must offer a quick “well played, sir” to James F. Munafo Jr., candidate for State Representative of the Second Plymouth District, for his canny push card, which features his qualifications on one side and a complete Boston Red Sox season schedule on the other.
Mr. Munafo, by the way, just received an endorsement from the Citizens for Limited Taxation’s 2 1/2 PAC.
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Eric R. Steinhilber, Republican candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands District, has picked up the endorsement of former state representative Thomas N. George.
“Eric Steinhilber has worked in the community and learned that we need a new approach for representing this district,” Mr. George said in a press release. “He will listen to all commentary then make decisions based on the needs of all his constituents. He realizes we cannot continue with the old procedures and practices which have resulted in the economic condition under which we now labor.”
Mr. George served four terms (1997 to 2004) as state rep of the First Barnstable District seat, which is now held by State Representative Cleon H. Turner (D – Dennis).
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The nigh-invisible Ray Kasperowicz, Republican candidate for US Representative of the 10th Congressional District, announced last week he had filed enough signatures to qualify for the September primary ballot.
Now he just has to get out and make his name known, because right now all the attention is going to State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) and Joseph D. Malone, the latter of whom is making good on his promise to visit the Cape regularly. He was in town last week to congratulate David Braga, who was recently elected to the Falmouth Board of Selectmen, and stopped by Hyannis Monday for another “Joe’s on the Job” tour appearance.
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Conservative pundit Howie Carr will be on the Cape tomorrow for a joint book signing with Rep. Perry. It’s in Orleans so you’ll have to fight tourist traffic, but if you want to go it runs from 11 AM to 1 PM at Booksmith on West Road (Skaket Corners Plaza).
Be forewarned: Howie signs his books with the blood of liberals he lures into his home with the promise of socialized medicine and all the arugula they can eat.
Rep. Perry has two fundraisers on the horizon: June 14, 6 to 8 PM at Yarmouth House in Yarmouth; and June 22, starting at 5 PM, at Tomatoes Italian Grille and Bar in Sandwich.
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On the Democratic side of this race, things are starting to come alive for William R. Keating, who last week announced several union endorsements, including from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.
Mr. Keating and his Democratic rival in the primary, State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable), will meet for the first time in a public forum on Thursday, June 10. The Harwich Democratic Town Committee hosts that event at Harwich Town Hall, and the forum begins at 7 PM.
Each candidate will give a brief overview of their background, their major accomplishments as elected officials, and will be asked to articulate their specific vision and priorities for the 10th Congressional district. A Q-and-A session will follow.
For more information, contact Ray Gottwald at 508-430-1666 or RayGottwald@aol.com.
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Suzanne M. Bump, Democratic candidate for state auditor, this week picked up a big endorsement from Congressman Barney Frank (D). Rep. Frank said Ms. Bump’s “many years of experience and passion for her work make her the best choice to be the Commonwealth’s next state auditor.”
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Here’s the latest poll on the gubernatorial race. According to the Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll released last week, Governor Deval L. Patrick was in the lead with 42 percent support among those polled, followed by Republican Charles D. Baker Jr., unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill at 14 percent, and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein at eight percent.
But the worse and more telling results of this poll: more than half of those surveyed think Gov. Patrick needs to go and almost half think he’s doing a lousy job; 63 percent of people surveyed have never heard of Baker, even though he’s been running since July; and the percentage of voters who view Cahill negatively has more than doubled, from 16 percent to 34 percent.
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Finally, since we’re on the governor’s race, I would like to state for the record: Tim Cahill, you’re a jerk.
Cahill last week blasted Gov. Patrick for meeting with Muslim leaders and, in Cahill’s words, “pandering” to them and “playing politics with terrorism.”
What did the Muslim leaders want? Things like improved communication with local law enforcement agents to improve cultural awareness of Islam and greater considerations for Muslims that they may better practice their faith. Cahill called this “political correctness run amok.”
Yeah! How dare they ask for understanding and tolerance!
Cahill is, as you’ve just read, getting plastered in the polls and needed to put some fire under his campaign, but taking Gov. Patrick to task for reaching out to the Muslim community, in doing so shamelessly playing to voters’ fears, smacks of desperation and opportunism and only perpetuates the stereotype that “Muslim” equals “terrorist.”
Personally, this is not the kind of narrow-minded thinking I want in my leaders, and I’m disappointed that Cahill felt it necessary to stoop to this.
Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net
Tags: 10th Congressional district, 2010 election, Charlie Baker, Eric Steinhilber, GOP, Governor Deval Patrick, Governor's Council - 1st District, Jeff Perry, Jill Stein, Jim Munafo, Joe Malone, Martha Coakley, Ray Kasperowicz, Rob O'Leary, State Senate - Cape & Islands, Tim Cahill, William Keating
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
