Promises... Promises... So many made, so few kept.

Gov. Patrick's re-election bid untrustworthy

by Michael Graham
DNN - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Sep. 13, 2010

Here’s Question No. 1 about last Tuesday's gubernatorial debate, particularly as it relates to “Question No. 3” and the sales-tax rollback: Does it even matter what Deval Patrick says anymore?

Which leads to Question No. 2: Does Deval Patrick even expect us to?

There comes a point in some political campaigns where the candidate has made the decision to just tell people what they want to hear and pretend they believe him.

Patrick has clearly reached that point.

He can’t seriously believe we’re going to fall for the “I will respect the will of the voters” on the sales-tax rollback. You mean like you did on same-sex marriage, Governor?

Patrick has never been a “will of the voters” kind of guy. Like his fellow liberal elitist Barack Obama, Patrick knows best - which is why he keeps talking about saving us from the “calamity” of a sales-tax cut.

Which is why you can see his visceral discomfort as he gives his word on the sales-tax rollback. It’s similar to his lie . . . er “unfulfilled campaign pledge” in 2006 not to raise tolls or gasoline taxes.

He oozed annoyed insincerity as he said it - just a campaign promise waiting to be broken. Only the most hopelessly naive of voters was surprised when Patrick followed up that “pledge” by proposing a $100 million toll increase or, in lieu of that, a 19-cents-a-gallon increase in the gas tax.

Running in 2006, then-candidate Patrick also repeatedly and enthusiastically promised to cut property taxes, raise local aid to pre-2000 levels and put 1,000 new cops on the streets.

All promised, none delivered. Surprised?

And these were campaign promises I suspect he actually meant to keep.

And so, regardless of what he said - or tried to say - in last Tuesday’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.

Here’s the most telling exchange in Campaign 2010 so far, in my opinion.

A few months ago, Patrick was on Channel 7 with Andy Hiller. Hiller asks the governor if he remembers the campaign promises he made four years ago

“Most of them,” Patrick answers with a faint smile. “You’re going to confront me with a few?”

Hiller: “Have you cut property taxes?”

Patrick: “We have not done all that we will.”

All that we will?

Folks, that was in May.

Have anyone’s property taxes been cut in the past five months?

Has Patrick done anything positive about property taxes in that time? Of course not. But instead of just admitting he didn’t keep his word, the governor is still making bogus promises of tax cuts right around the corner.

There are plenty of reasons to vote for and against all of the candidates for governor. In an overwhelmingly Democratic state like Massachusetts, Patrick will be the frontrunner throughout this election.

But if you’re planning on voting for Patrick because of what he promises you today, please do us all a favor. Burn your voter registration now.