Left In Lowell

So Tired of Political Cynicism

by Lynne at 2:16 pm.

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a pretty huge cynical side. (I like to call it being reality-based.) There’s so much to be cynical about; the Bush administration’s constant giveaways to their corporate buds…the sweetheart deals of the GOB network in Lowell…a state Democratic party which has been entrenched so long, they’ve forgotten (in many cases) why they are Democrats.

So why the hell do people go looking for reasons to be cynical?

I’ve been so busy floodwatching, I hadn’t had a chance to write about gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick’s decision to step down from the board of Ameriquest, not too long after its decision to lay off all its MA employees and many bloggers urged him to do it. My reasoning was that it was a liability to the campaign, and distracted from Deval’s great message. It seemed the only thing Reilly could even get half a tire of traction on, and the media of course loved to pick on Deval’s Ameriquest connections.

But make no mistake, my own personal evaluation of Deval’s corporate history is that the guy was honorable, and I believe him when he says he joined Ameriquest to get it to clean up its act. He joined the board after the legal troubles of Ameriquest for predatory lending, and if that’s not enough to back up his claim, you need to get acquainted with reality. Why else would a progressive go to work for a company after they’d been caught being bad? Yeesh.

Progressives have a gut-check reaction against corporations and the people who work for them (I know I do). And sometimes, we are as unfair in that evaluation as the right wing is about atheists or governmental social programs. It’s been weighing on a lot of minds, that fact that Deval Patrick worked for big bad companies like Coca-Cola or Ameriquest. But I think I’ve come to know him pretty well, especially through the people who are closest to him, and the guy just wants to roll up his sleeves and get to work. Whether that’s as a civil rights lawyer for the Justice Department, a corporate lawyer cleaning up bad lending practices (or resigning when in disagreement with the management, like with Coke), or as governor, he’s being honest when he says he’s just trying to make things better for people.

But apparently, this isn’t enough for some people, those who cynically describe the resignation as “spin”. You can smell the gut-check coming off of Aaron: “He suddenly realized that it’s not so nice to be earning a gigantic paycheck from a company that purposely rips off poor people.” Rhetoric much?

Fellow candidate Tom Reilly’s statement (Adam of Talking Politics had the text) on Patrick’s resignation was very dishonest:

“One of the major differences between Deval Patrick and me comes down to one word - Ameriquest. While I fought them and helped get millions of dollars back for Massachusetts residents who were scammed by this predatory company, he was on their payroll. “

“While I fought them and helped get millions of dollars back for Massachusetts residents who were scammed by this predatory company, he was on their payroll.” Reilly apparently has gone to the Karl Rove school of spin. He apparently believes that a half-truth is better than a lie, and a lie is better than the truth. He conveniently forgets to mention that Patrick joined after the lawsuit happened. So Reilly speciously accuses Patrick of…get ready now…working for a corporation! He’s trying to divorce Patrick from his core volunteer constituency, progressives like me who reflexively hate big conglomerates. Forget the picky little facts that force you to see the situation in more than simple black and white.

Democrats should know better. Only people like Bush see the world that way.

[Filed under State Elections] [link]

10 Responses to “So Tired of Political Cynicism”

? Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
“Why else would a progressive go to work for a company after they’d been caught being bad?”

How about a giant pile of money?
Lynne Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Riiiiight…and back we go to the unwarrented cynicism I talked about. Like a) Deval is poor and b) it’s good to assume that everyone in the world is a greedy bastard, without any evidence at all. Do you know Deval? Have you met or talked with him? Until you do, and get to judge his character for yourself, don’t make stupid assumptions.

I find it odd you like to put “abc.com” as your website. Don’t post a URL under your nickname unless you own it, or write for it. I doubt in this case it’s either one.
Renee Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
I really believe after hearing Patrick speak and reading his website, he isn’t a creep. And this is something that is coming out of a mouth, who is completely unsure what to do with her vote in September/November.

What is wrong with earning a legitimate dollar trying to fix a problem? If you want to pick on him for Ameriquest, let’s pick on his for being a part of the Clinton administration during the Monica Lewinski scandal too. It’s true, but you realize I’m being silly here.

There are people I can honestly disagree with, but then there are others who are creepy like Gabrieli. Eesh! He makes me shiver. Bored rich guy, who has nothing else to do with his fortune. He has nothing else to do over the past decade then waste his own money on personal political campaigns.

We need humility in a leader to execute ideas, not an ego freak who thinks he can save us.
? Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
I have met Deval.

I have heard him speak.

I did not grow up with Deval.

I was never his roommate.

I never was his co-worker.

I am not a member of his family.

I assume all of those statements apply to you too, Lynne.

Deval will not disclose how much money Ameriquest paid him.

So it’s not a stupid assumption, Lynne. Put the Kool-aid down and accept it.
Renee Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
It is so easy to be disturbingly impolite, when you’re anonymous.

I do love the irony that you are making an argument that Patrick should disclose money, but you refuse to disclose who you are.
Mr. Lynne Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
I get the irony, but I’m actually a firm believer in the principal that an assertion evaluates true or false
independently of who makes the assertion.

The question here is “Does Deval’s assertion that his non-disclosure is borne out of protecting his spouse’s privacy
allay any suspicion that there is some hidden reason for not disclosing records having not to do with privacy but
rather with regard to some kind of possible situation that his financial position would put him in a percieved bad light?”
Also… “If so, how much can or should we weigh this when evaluating him as a candidate?”

As far as I can see I doubt very much that full disclosure would actually put him in a bad light… even if he made lots
of money. It would only be a bad light if it could be shown that the money somehow spoiled his integrity, which I don’t
buy necessarily. The guy has obviously been in a position where he could make a lot of money doing several different
things for a career. You’d have to believe he went out of his way to stay at Ameriquest and had no other options for
similar amounts of money despite thier record of predatory lending. I belive him when he says he’d like to stop
predetory lending and I believe that he didn’t necessarily have to make his money at Ameriquest in particular. I
therefore find it much more parsimonious that he chose the Ameriquest gig thinking he could improve it.
Lynne Says:
May 16th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Is that what you’re whining about? Have you been paying attention at all, Mr. Question Mark? The disclosures on his income come with the standard candidate financial statements (which by the way tell you more than a tax return). He has already said he will file that when it’s time. You’ll get that information soon enough. I’m so sick of people whining about that crap. Who cares? Know what? I believe that Deval Patrick will do everything in his power to fix what is broken with this state. I don’t care if he made $4.00 or $400,000 with Ameriquest, frankly.

Progressive makes money…everyone then jumps on said progressive assuming it means he’s not a progressive. It makes me scream sometimes. God. The guy wants to give up his corporate life (at which he could make much more money than he has) to spend his time taking crap from people like you for the next four years as governor. I’d say that’s a pretty determined guy hoping to serve in the public sector for not much reward.

Hey, Deval also spent however many years as a federal civil rights lawyer. I’m sure it didn’t mean he was poor but I’m betting it wasn’t a cushy multimillion dollar job either. Does that mean he’s not good with the private sector because he took a public job? Give me a break.
waittilnextyr Says:
May 17th, 2006 at 7:28 am
NECN hosts Gubernatorial debate at 7 pm on Thursday.

Is anyone else sick of hearing the Gabrielli ads on stem cell research? It’s an issue, but not the only issue, and it certainly does not rise to the level of his recommended $1B in State funding.
Mimi Says:
May 17th, 2006 at 10:31 am
The debate will also be broadcast on WBUR. As for Gabrieli, I am so tired of receiving his campaign e-mails. I did ask them to unsubsribe me from their mass e-mailing but they keep sending me e-mails and calling me.

If he wants to run, I guess he has the right to run but his campaign is primarily focused on the Convention delegates and it is becoming extremely annoying.
bugsy Says:
May 17th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
I think we all know more about Deval now than we did 6 months ago.
I gave Deval my $50, but I never considered myself a follower or
beleiver. I wished him and his progressive message well.

Now that we know more about his employers and finances, we
have begun to question his leadership. I think that’s okay.

Patrick is a very corporate guy. Ask yourself if this is who you
want to lead the state. I decided I don’t want Patrick as my guy.

You are welcome to make your own decision about this man.

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May 16, 2006

So Tired of Political Cynicism

10 Responses to “So Tired of Political Cynicism”

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