Hillman spends a minute in western Mass.
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
I get a fair number of e-mails from the Healy-Hillman campaign I don't get any opportunities to speak with either of them, but I do get a stream of e-mails.
After all, why would Kerry Healy actually want to speak to someone who might ask a question about her record of the last four years?
The one I received on Aug. 22 was a schedule for Reed Hillman for Aug. 23. Hillman has promised to visit every community in the Commonwealth as part of his campaign.
This is very admirable. There are many communities that never have the chance to see a gubernatorial or in his case a lieutenant gubernatorial candidate in person.
However I think that Hillman won't have much of a chance of impressing too many people with the schedule he has.
Here's the one for the 23rd:
At 10:30 he will start his run at the Worthington Public Safety Building, 129 Williamsburg Rd., Worthington.
He will then sprint over to Cummington for an 11 a.m. appearance.
He has to be in Chesterfield for 11:30 and then at Goshen for noon. He won't have time for lunch though (or for shaking many hands) because he has to be in Williamsburg for 12:20 p.m.
Then it's on to Sunderland for 1 p.m., Leverett for 1:30 p.m. and Shutesbury at 2:10 p.m. Pelham is a 2:45 stop and he finishes his day at 4 p.m. in Gardner.
Whew!
Now having traveled through that part of Hampshire County when I was an ad salesmen for the "Daily Hampshire Gazette" I can tell you that Hillman had better have a State Police escort clearing the way for him with a screaming siren and flashing lights if he hopes to make this schedule.
It does take a while to get from Cummington to Chesterfield and then go back to Goshen. Don't take my word for it. Make this route a Sunday drive it's a really nice one and see what I mean.
The real issue though is why someone would arrange for this kind of campaigning. In the middle of the day a candidate is not going to get to meet and greet many constituents and within the time frame they've devised, Hillman will barely have time to get out of his car.
This is not the way to impress the people who historically seldom see statewide candidates. It will have the opposite effect with some people who will see it for a shallow campaign trick.
Hillman seems like an interesting guy and I'd like to speak with him. Frankly he would have probably made a better candidate for governor since he doesn't have any of the baggage of the last four years.
I don't know who Hillman has for advisors, but if he had wanted to make an impact in the hill towns, all he had to do was to show up for a few hours at the Cummington Fair, which took place this past weekend, and press some flesh.
***
I received a letter from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick asking me to consider endorsing him.
I was flattered. It was the first time a state-wide candidate approached me for an endorsement. he got my name right and it was personally signed in ink!
As much as I would like to continue this stroking of my ego, I can't endorse Patrick. I can't endorse anyone.
I don't believe that endorsing candidates is as important as writing about what they say and do in order for readers to make up their own minds.
Editors and publishers who play the endorsement game are fooling themselves. The public cares far more about solid reporting than it does about some would-be power broker's directive on how someone should vote.
We are lucky this year to have qualified state-wide candidates who offer voters legitimate choices on primary day.
My only endorsement is just to exercise your vote.
This column represents the opinions of its author and no one else.
Send your comments to mdobbs@reminderpublications.com or to 280 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
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