It’s official! David T. Vieira of Falmouth is in the running for state representative of the third Barnstable district!

Mr. Vieira gave me the head’s up last week at a Mashpee Republican Town Committee meeting, and he pulled the trigger on Wednesday. There should be a full profile in the front section of this paper (except for Sandwich, because it’s not in the district…no soup for you!).

This sets the stage for a possible rematch between Mr. Vieira and State Representative Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth), who faced off in 2000 as fellow first-time candidates for the Legislature. If this one goes forward, it’ll be a very cool race to watch.

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Hey, debate fans! There’s something juicy coming up next week!

The Cape Codder Resort will host a head-to-head debate between Republican gubernatorial candidates Charles D. Baker Jr. and Christy P. Mihos next Friday, March 26, starting at 7 PM. The Cape Cod Republican Committee and the Women’s Republican Club of Cape Cod put this baby together, and I’m betting this is going to be a fun night.

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Since we’re talking about the governor’s race, I’ll take up this item I’ve been sitting on for a couple of weeks…

The latest Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll on the governor’s race is not looking promising for Mr. Mihos. In a theoretical primary showdown between the two Republican candidates, Mr. Baker wins with 47 percent of voters polled supporting him, 36 percent undecided, and 17 percent siding with Mr. Mihos.

You know you’re doing poorly if you finish third behind “undecided.” And this is a major turnaround since the last poll in November, which had Mihos in the lead with 33 percent support to Baker’s 30 percent.

(For those of you who care about such things, Baker’s campaign war chest is sprinting toward the $2 million mark. Mihos’s coffers are looking mighty empty at a shade under $4,700. I hasten to add a quick word of advice for the candidates, in particular Charlie Baker: stop bragging about how much money you’re raising. It’s not helping you win hearts and minds. Really.)

Democrat Grace Ross is in a similar boat. In a theoretical primary race between her and incumbent Deval L. Patrick, Gov. Patrick, 59 percent of those surveyed said they’d vote for him, 26 percent were undecided, and 15 percent chose Ms. Ross.

Now, in a theoretical four-way race between Gov. Patrick, Mr. Baker, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Dr. Jill E. Stein, and unenrolled candidate Timothy P. Cahill, the results were, respectively: 33 percent, 25 percent, three percent, and 23 percent.

A Rasmussen Reports poll generated the same basic results: Gov. Patrick narrowly beat Mr. Baker, and Mr. Cahill came in third. Dr. Stein was nowhere to be seen in this poll; the fourth slot went to “undecided.”

Interestingly, in a theoretical race in which Mr. Mihos was the Republican candidate, Gov. Patrick still won and Tim Cahill was the runner-up, and Smilin’ Christy M. came in third.

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In other gubernatorial news, Mr. Cahill announced last week he has added to former strategists from US Senator John McCain’s (R) 2008 Presidential campaign: John Weaver and John Yob.

Supporters are promoting this as the addition of some serious muscle to Mr. Cahill’s campaign, but I don’t know if I’d crow too loudly about having guys on my team whose last big gig was helping the guy who lost.

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And as Mr. Cahill’s campaign team grows, Mr. Mihos’s shrinks. Joe Manzoli, Mr. Mihos’s campaign manager, left the team last week, stating only that he wanted his professional life to move “in a different direction.”

The candidate insists all is well within his camp, despite a recent spate of campaign staff and personal finance issues.

I should note that Mr. Mihos recently attended a Tea Party-sponsored event in Westborough. This appearance has fueled speculation that he’s courting the Tea Party movement to revitalize his flagging campaign.

Whether this is true and proves a shrewd and successful new strategy or a dying candidate’s desperate Hail Mary play has yet to be seen, but it could work; Baker has been heavily criticized in some corners as being a big-money mainstream candidate, so a well-played “outsider” card could yield some positive results.

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Our last note this week on the governor’s race: Ms. Ross, who jumped ship from the Green-Rainbow Party to join the Democrats, has launched her campaign website at www.graceross.org.

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We’ve previously seen “Jokes With Jeff,” now it’s time for “Pizza With Perry.”

State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), candidate for the 10^th Congressional district, will hold a fundraiser on Thursday, April 15 – not coincidentally, the day after the deadline for filing your taxes – at the Hyannis VFW near the airport rotary. That runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, and campaign donations will be accepted at the door.

Go to www.jeffperryforcongress.com/events.html for details.

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Eric Steinhilber is Everywhere Man!

The Republican (and so far only) candidate for State Senator of the Cape and Islands district will be putting in face time at several events across the Cape this spring, including a candidates’ night in Eastham (March 25), the aforementioned gubernatorial debate, a fundraiser for Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings (April 2), a Woman’s Republican Club of Cape Cod luncheon (April 9), the “Brewster in Bloom Parade” (May 2), and the Cape Cod Republican Club’s annual meeting (May 17).

Go to Mr. Steinhilber’s campaign website at www.electeric2010.com for more info, then get out and say hi to the chap.

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State Representative Karyn Polito (R – Shrewsbury) has launched her new website in support of her campaign for state treasurer. Go to www.karynpolitofortreasurer.com to learn more.

Meanwhile, Republican Brian J. Herr has dropped out of the treasurer’s race and is now running for the third Congressional district.

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The official campaign website for Walter Moniz, Democratic candidate for governor’s councilor of the first district, is also up and running. That’s at http://waltermoniz.com.

Political news and announcements may be sent to Michael Bailey, Region editor and senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

I’ve had the matter on my mind for a while now, ever since a candidate — who shall remain nameless — chastised me for referring to him as an “unenrolled candidate” rather than his preferred title of “independent candidate.”

Before I continue, I should clarify a crucial point: There is no such thing as the “Independent Party.” Ain’t so such animal. Massachusetts recognizes the “Massachusetts Independent Party” and the “American Independent Party” — not to be confused with the “Independent American Party” or the “New American Independent Party” or the various [Insert state name here] Independent Parties — but strictly speaking, there is no national political entity known simply as “The Independent Party.”

To avoid confusion with any of the parties that adopted “Independent” as part of their name, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office’s official designation for all non-party candidates is “unenrolled,” the same label applied to voters with no chosen party membership (which is not to be confused with “unregistered,” which refers to a resident who is not registered to vote at all).

<sarcasm font> Now that I’ve cleared all that up… </sarcasm font>

The debate between myself and the candidate went back and forth for much longer than it probably should have (I can dig my heels in with the best of them), but along the way I realized that “independent” was now much more than a practical label; it was a selling point, and perhaps that was why he was fighting so hard to convince me to use that in my references to him rather than “unenrolled.”

Until January 2010, “independent” was a very neutral term. It described, simply, people who didn’t belong to any party, big or small. It was utilitarian, benign, even toothless; very few people have been elected to major office as a proud independent (for the record, I don’t count Joe Lieberman. Aside from the fact he ran under the header “Connecticut for Lieberman” and is officially on US Senate rolls as an “Independent Democrat” and is technically still registered as a Democrat, he went indie for one self-serving reason: It was the only way to get his name back on the ballot after voters handed him a defeat in the primary against Ned Lamont).

So what happened? Scott Brown happened.

I know, Tim Cahill was promoting himself as “independent” months earlier, after dumping the Dems for his gubernatorial run, but Brown gave the tag some real oomph. Although a Republican, he pushed hard the idea that he was an independent voice who would follow the wishes of his constituents over party poobahs, and people bought into it.

Now, “independent” has some credibility. It has weight and heft — and yes, it has zazz. In this day of profound dissatisfaction with our elected leaders in both parties — the GOP for their role in creating many of the problems we’re dealing with now and arrogant denial of culpability, and the Democrats for so spectacularly mishandling our recovery while displaying a stunning level of cluelessness as to the wants and needs of their constituents — independent candidates, and party candidates who claim an independent mindset, are a very attractive new(ish) alternative. They promise to cut the imposing Gordian Knot tied tight by two contrasting, often conflicting bodies that seem more intent on proving their way of doing things is the “right” way than in seeking actual solutions. Every major election cycle produces its own set of catchphrases and buzzwords, and “independent” is topping the list of 2010.

But, like every other sloganized campaign pitch, its meaning will be lost as quickly as it was gained as bandwagon candidates disingenuously embrace the sizzle but not the steak, and in 2012 independents will be sooooooooo one mid-term ago and the latest shiny sound bite will captivate the electorate.

Or worse: real and perceived independents will be swept into office in sufficient numbers to warrant their own caucuses. Then they’ll start getting together regularly to discuss issues and tactics. Then they’ll codify their political philosophies into a formal platform to sell to voters and like-minded politicians to entice them under their banner.

Hello, Independent Party.