From the media onslaught (and the really impressive array of road signs in Burlington), one would think that all of MA was planning on voting for Charlie Baker -- or at most were voting *against* Baker. Because of course, no one could possibly want to vote for Deval Patrick.
But y'know, I voted for the guy the first time around, and I don't regret the decision. Sure, he's made some decisions I disagree with, but I don't think I can name a politician of any import of whom that's not true. By and large I've found his policies and approaches decently sensible, and his dismissive attitude toward the usual political bullshit rather refreshing. (As opposed to Baker, who seems to be an identikit Republican candidate, with just enough carefully managed "anger" to get some Tea Party street cred, lots of good-sounding soundbites that turn out to be mutually contradictory when you look at them carefully, but mostly a cautious avoidance of concrete proposals.)
So we're letting the Patrick campaign put out a lawn sign, because I actually do want to see him re-elected. The noise machine is very focused on All Incumbents Are Evil, but I don't agree.
(Of course, my random button of the day is the traditional "Cthulhu for President: Why Vote For the Lesser Evil?". Seems to be the meme of the day...)
I suspect it'll be Patrick again anyway, but I think Cahill's experience as treasurer is a solid background.
There's also this gem, though, equating Muslims with terrorists.
Baker strikes me as an empty suit who's great at using his amazing powers of 20/20 hindsight to say what he would have done differently than Patrick, but not so hot on telling me what he'd do in the future. I may not like all of Patrick's decisions, but I do believe that he thinks them through rationally, rather than following the party line. I refuse to vote for an opposition candidate who's platform is mostly "I oppose you."
Stein has a few ideas I like, but I can't bring myself to vote for someone who I don't believe could run a successful administration. I look back at how hard it's been for the democratic governor to deal with democratic state house and I don't see how Stein would be able to get anything done (Cahill falls somewhat into this concern as well, but from a different direction - and he's got other problems that make him not viable to me).