Last night’s first mayoral debate between the two remaining candidates left standing from the September 24 preliminary, City Councilor John Connolly and state Representative Marty Walsh, did not offer potential voters much substance.
Perhaps that is a bit overstated, but with three debates remaining — two on live television — neither candidate stood to gain too much; Walsh needed to maintain his momentum and Connolly, the leader in the polls, needed to act the part of a mayoral favorite.
If either candidate chose to shift into full-attack mode and make their most aggressive pitches to the potential voters, any appeal potentially gained would likely fizzle-out between now and the November 5 election.
While both candidates showed willingness to confront each other on issues and characteristics specific to the other’s campaign — education for Connolly and Walsh’s labor ties — conservative strategies were on full display.
How Did Connolly Perform?
As expected. The former school teacher was quick to remind viewers (not glued to the Red Sox game) of his education background, never missing an opportunity to reference his experience. Similar to Walsh’s complete control over the Dorchester vote, the education issue is Connolly’s to lose.
With the first portion of the debate — moderated by WBZ’s Jon Keller — focusing on education, Connolly was immediately thrust into his comfort zone. His responses were calculated and confident, but he did stumble.
Teachers know that mentioning a student by name in public, not to mention a televised debate, is a Cardinal sin. The former school teacher did just that last night, referring to a former male student by name before going into details about the student’s personal adversity, mentioning that the student got his girlfriend pregnant.
Was it a total disaster for the mayoral hopeful? Not really. It was a poorly timed mistake that has flown relatively under the radar. Perhaps, in due course, the Walsh camp will use the incident to attack Connolly’s often touted education experience. Walsh refrained from doing so last night.
Connolly acknowledged his slip-up, telling the Boston Globe “I was nervous and I made a mistake.”
“I was trying to make an important point on a really important issue, so I apologize on that front, and I will talk to him to make sure he gets my apology.”
On a positive note, Connolly addressed issues of diversity within the Boston Police Department, announcing his plan to revive and fund the Boston Police Cadet Program. The goal of Connolly’s plan, which he announced today, is to create a pathway to a Law Enforcement career at Madison Park High. On top of creating a diverse BPD, he hopes the program will also prepare young people to become effective, well-trained officers.
Connolly’s few attacks on Walsh referenced the former labor leader’s outside campaign funding from labor groups and unions.
When asked about Mayor Tom Menino, Connolly said he shares the incumbent’s desire to be actively involved in the City’s neighborhoods.
Even though Connolly was the only candidate to notably stumble, he escaped without a loss. That doesn’t mean he won the debate either. Neither he nor Walsh could confidently declare a victory. With more debates to come, however, a W last night wasn’t particularly necessary.
Connolly connected to his base with his education points, and provided potential voters with a glimpse of future attacks on his opponent. By touching on the BPD, Connolly targeted the minority vote and voters concerned with public safety, making diversity and effectiveness his top priorities.
Image from WBZ
