So Who Won?

If you missed last night’s debate, just click here to view!

Don’t believe the dopes over at public radio, claiming that last night’s gubernatorial debate was a win for Tim Cahill and Jill Stein (where do they find people this clueless?).  Last night’s big winner was Charlie Baker, and the line that did it for him:

“I think I’ll let these two fight it out.”

Wait—Baker didn’t say that. Tim Cahill did.

Exactly.

Tim Cahill was about as relevant in last night’s debate as Jill Stein.  He took a big step toward cementing his image as a third-party spoiler, a single-digit waste of a vote.  If that sticks, Charlie Baker will have overcome the biggest obstacle towards victory last night.

As Statehouse News pollster Gerry Chervinsky said, “If Deval Patrick were in a one on one race and there were no Tim Cahill, Deval Patrick wouldn't have a chance.”

As for Patrick’s performance, he was competent in answering the non-stop attacks from Baker, but by letting Baker turn it into a two-man debate, Patrick committed a major strategic error. Then again, he’s appeared in so few debates (this is his first elected position, remember?) and he’s so reluctant to debate people who disagree with him (I’m still waiting for a return phone call) that Patrick simply doesn’t have much experience to call upon in debates like these.

And besides, as I wrote in the Herald today, does it really matter what Patrick says anymore?

Regardless of what he said - or tried to say - in last night’s debate, does anyone seriously believe that a re-elected Gov. Patrick is going to implement a $2 billion sales-tax cut? And if you do, have you also recently responded to an e-mail from a Nigerian banker who wants your help making a large deposit?

Voters who take Patrick at his word deserve everything they get. They’re like women who date married men and fall for the “I’m leaving my wife” line, or landlords still waiting for the rent check from two months ago. There’s a point where the politician is being so upfront about being dishonest that all the blame falls on the self-deluded suckers who still buy in.

My advice to Baker: Keep Stein in these debates. That helps remind viewers that there are two tiers of candidates in this race, and Cahill’s in the bottom.