Last week I mentioned that Stephen M. Palmer of Plymouth, who is allegedly running against Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) in the Democratic primary, had yet to surface in any major way.
Well, the mystery has clarified somewhat as Mr. Palmer had registered with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance and is listed as a formal candidate with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.
In addition, a reader kindly forwarded to me a copy of some campaign literature he obtained from Mr. Palmer himself, who was apparently doing a little stumping last month in Sandwich. The “literature” is a one-page typed letter that provides a brief bio and a general statement about running for State Senate to represent the working class.
According to the letter, Mr. Palmer is a Boston native, a father of two, an attendee of Boston College and Harvard University (he does not mention any degrees held or fields of study), a former Braintree Town Meeting member, and states that in 1990 he challenged then-Senate President William Bulger in the Democratic primary, taking 40 percent of the vote that year.
Mr. Palmer says he is running a grass roots campaign — “grass roots” in this case seems to be a euphemism for “nearly invisible.” I think more people have encountered sasquatch than this guy.
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What helps bring attention to a cause more than anything? Giant rubber bands!
Republican Thomas F. Keyes is doling out blue wristbands emblazoned with the slogan “United to Fix Beacon Hill” to anyone who donates to his campaign. If it gets some cash flowing, great, but the awareness-raising wristband thing is old.
In other Keyesian news, the candidate has a couple of events on the Cape coming up, including a house party in Sagamore on July 25 and a meet-and-greet, also in Sagamore, on August 20. Go to www.votekeyes.com/events for full details.
Political news and announcements may be e-mailed to Michael Bailey, senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net.
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
