Notes From D.R. | Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/03/17/new_face_changing_city?mode=PF

Good profile in the Boston Globe on Linda D. Forry, the woman who won the seat vacated by Massachusetts’ powerful former House Speaker, Thomas Finneran. Lots of talk in the article about the so-called "new Boston" phenomenon–the apparent transformation of the city from a conservative, Irish-Catholic area to a "progressive", more racially diverse region. The idea, of course, is that liberal minority candidates, who didn’t really have a chance to win years ago (remember Mel King’s ill-fated run for Mayor of Boston in 1983?), now have a shot at success.

Because Boston is now a majority-minority city (the population is now 51% non-white), some misguided observers are contending that being an Irish-American candidate is now a liability as opposed to an asset. That’s transparent balderdash: a solid Irish-American contender can still win a City Council or State Representative seat in the Greater Boston area. The only problem is, they will now have to run FAR to the left to get elected, in keeping with the increasing liberalism of the city. Two examples prove this: Eric Donovan, the candidate who I backed for the state rep seat, only garnered twenty-four percent of the vote, finishing second to Forry, who won forty-seven percent. Donovan happens to be pro-life and against gay marriage; Forry is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Draw your own conclusions.

The second example is Stacey Monahan, a white liberal Irish Catholic who finished third with twelve percent of the vote. As the Boston Phoenix points out (http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/documents/04538496.asp), Monahan probably would have won had it not been for Forry’s presence in the race. Monahan’s progressive politics–pro-choice, pro-gay-marriage, anti-death-penalty–are simpatico with the "new Boston" sensibilities, and she could easily win a Boston City Council seat or a state rep/state Senate seat in the near future. Monahan is an emerging star; she didn’t shine last Tuesday, but she’ll obviously glow in the years to come.

For those of us who wish that Boston wouldn’t become  so "blue"–that moderate-conservative sensibilities would rise instead of outright liberalism–the trend is not exactly encouraging. The best that we can hope for is that these new progessive politicans don’t become as addicted to corruption and cronyism as some of the Democrats of decades past.