Mihos and Patrick 2006 - image Boston Globe
Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick, has suddenly decided he’s met a tax increase he doesn’t like – a 25% increase in the Mass. State sales tax. Patrick has sent a letter to the legislature informing them of his decision to Veto and asking, instead, for them to review his proposed revenue streams, which include an increase in the state gas tax, a tax on soda, candy, an increase in vehicle registration fees, an increase in the state’s hotel tax, an increase in the state meal tax, a bottle tax on non-carbonated beverages and a business busting telecommunications tax.
Patrick, whose approval rating is hovering at at 33% (or roughly the amount of voters registered as Democrats in Massachusetts – source Mass. Secretary of State), has this stunning anti-tax conversion immediately following the annoucment by Christy Mihos, that he would campaign against Patrick in 2010, as a Republican.
Mihos, who ran as an independent in the 2006 election against Deval Patrick and Kerry Healy, received approximately 7% of the vote in a 3-way race. 2006 was a year filled with “Hope and Change”, the Bay State was energized by Patrick’s message of “Yes, We Can”, while Healy ran a strictly negative campaign, painting Patrick as a Tax and Spend Democrat, a message that fell on deaf ears (additionally, Massachusetts, although allegedly enlightened, would not, in all probability, put a woman in the Governor’s office (see Jane Swift, only woman ever to hold the office, was not voted into the office, rather, as Lt. Governor, filled the vacancy left by Cellcuci who was named Ambassador to Canada). That left Mihos who was out-campaigned by both major political parties. That was then, this is now.
Mihos, running as a Republican changes the landscape a bit, and although it is a tad early in the 2010 election cycle (State Papers are not even available yet for the 2010 races), Mihos, a businessman with a sound fiscal plan for Bay State, appears to be a “breath of fresh air” compared to Patrick – Mihos' website has yet to be updated to reflect his change in Party status, however, his platform reads like a combination of Republican-Libertarian ideals that will resonate with the majority of the voters – Republicans’ (with the exception of those values voters who may or may not recoil from his pro-choice stance), Libertarians, and those Independents (51%) who are most likely to decide this next election.
As 2010 draws nearer, and more candidates emerge for the Governor’s seat, be they Republican, Independent, Libertarian or even Democrat, one can bet the house that Patrick may end up sounding more like Ronald Regan, than a super-liberal from Chicago (Yes - He Is!) – his problem – he will never regain the trust or vote of the Republican, Liberation and Independent minded voters and might likely alienate the State Democrats who would vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad if he had a (D) next to his name on a ballot.
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