By Frederick A. Hurst
Well, here we go again. It is testimony to the old adage that one should not be in business with family, especially not with one’s wife. Point of View is committed to endorsing political candidates, especially the top tier candidates. Our rule is to follow candidates in the news, watch what they do, meet with them and decide who to endorse. We try to make decisions as a committee but in the final analysis, if there is no confluence of opinion, the publisher gets the final say.
“We,” by the way, is me, the publisher, and Marjorie Hurst, the editor, who also is my wife.
I am for Charlie Baker for Governor. And for good reason. I don’t think it will make a lot of a difference, more or less, whether our next governor is Charlie Baker or Martha Coakley. The predominant Democratic legislature will continue to set the Massachusetts government agenda, which will continue to be pretty much left of center but middle of the road. I’m focused on the little stuff. Generally speaking, in my opinion, this all-Democratic line up doesn’t work so well. And balance, however small, is desirable. A Republican governor will, at least, be able to challenge the Democratic status quo and might temper some of the excesses and reverse some of the omissions. And even though a Republican governor may never speak to me, I can at least expect that the “HNIC” concept won’t govern his relations with a diverse African-American community as has been the case with Democrats in Massachusetts for the last 50 years. (For a definition of “HNIC,” White folks should consult their local “HNIC.”) My big problem, though, is that my editor won’t bend to my wishes. Notice I didn’t say “bend to my will.”  We are both strong-willed so if I make it a clash of wills, divorce might follow.
But to get to the point, my editor is fully committed to Martha Coakley. She structures her commitment in logic as witnessed in her recent article (Point of View, August 1, 2014). But bottom line her commitment to Martha Coakley is also understandably emotional. Martha Coakley is no more qualified to be governor than Charlie Baker but she is a woman who is as qualified. And a lot of men in Massachusetts have been elected governor and no women. It’s a sad fact, given that women’s right to vote is almost a century old. And although it is a morally unacceptable fact, especially in so-called liberal Massachusetts, it is, in my mind, politically irrelevant to current circumstances.
But, right or wrong, my editor is in a “feminine-seize-the-moment” state of mind. And although I support Charlie Baker for governor of Massachusetts, I don’t sleep with him and I’m not going to risk my marital rites for a vote. So we are going to split this one. I’m for Charlie Baker and my editor is for Martha Coakley and may the best wo(man) win. ■