2008 Woodie Awards
Inside the Massachusetts governor's race
Let's not ignore our third parties
Chris Auclair
Issue date: 10/26/06 Section: Opinion
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You don't need to be from Massachusetts to be interested in the race for governor.
The most evident reason why people from outside the Commonwealth should care about the election is that many of these outsiders are students. The governor is in a position to shape education in this state.
This race teaches us a valuable lesson about the American brand of politics. Too often, Americans are blinded by the political horse race and are willing to overlook a candidate's faults to beat the other guy.
In the past five or six years, the polarization of American political thought has increased, and it is silencing the voice of those stuck in the middle between steadfast conservative and liberal extremes.
There is a simple, obvious fact about this particular race that is welcome: there are four candidates.
Each has been covered by the media and included in the political debates.
Firebrand Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, warmly cynical Independent Christy Mihos, charismatic Democrat Deval Patrick and even-tempered Green-Rainbow Grace Ross all add varying perspectives to the race for governor.
The number of candidates may seem trivial.
After all, California had 135 candidates for governor in the 2003 recall election.
But that situation was atypical and doesn't change the fact that America only has two major political parties.
There are proven advantages and disadvantages to two-party rule. The lack of extraneous ideology streamlines the political process, but it also homogenizes the representation.
The two parties grow bigger to compete against each other, and their power balloons out of proportion until it's a circus.
All of this comes at a price: the erosion of the middle ground.
Massachusetts is caught in an identity crisis this election. The media and the public have welcomed third-party candidates Ross and Mihos. The two have participated alongside Patrick and Healey in all the debates. Massachusetts hears what they have to say.
The most evident reason why people from outside the Commonwealth should care about the election is that many of these outsiders are students. The governor is in a position to shape education in this state.
This race teaches us a valuable lesson about the American brand of politics. Too often, Americans are blinded by the political horse race and are willing to overlook a candidate's faults to beat the other guy.
In the past five or six years, the polarization of American political thought has increased, and it is silencing the voice of those stuck in the middle between steadfast conservative and liberal extremes.
There is a simple, obvious fact about this particular race that is welcome: there are four candidates.
Each has been covered by the media and included in the political debates.
Firebrand Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, warmly cynical Independent Christy Mihos, charismatic Democrat Deval Patrick and even-tempered Green-Rainbow Grace Ross all add varying perspectives to the race for governor.
The number of candidates may seem trivial.
After all, California had 135 candidates for governor in the 2003 recall election.
But that situation was atypical and doesn't change the fact that America only has two major political parties.
There are proven advantages and disadvantages to two-party rule. The lack of extraneous ideology streamlines the political process, but it also homogenizes the representation.
The two parties grow bigger to compete against each other, and their power balloons out of proportion until it's a circus.
All of this comes at a price: the erosion of the middle ground.
Massachusetts is caught in an identity crisis this election. The media and the public have welcomed third-party candidates Ross and Mihos. The two have participated alongside Patrick and Healey in all the debates. Massachusetts hears what they have to say.
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