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The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. – Thomas Edison To win a political race, it’s not enough to be right about the issues. You’ve got to be able to mobilize a coalition of people who will support you. Without that, you’re just another person with good ideas. As we move into May of election year, our hard work is paying real dividends in my independent race for Governor of Massachusetts.On April 2, I w

Each generation has its crisis. Past generations had to fight against colonial rule, slavery, and world tyranny. Others had to rally for women’s suffrage and equal civil rights. In each case, the steel of our resolve was questioned, and the people answered every time.. To see it, we must look past the multitude of problems before us, and trace each one to its root. What we find is that at the core of every major issue is a system of corruption. It is a system that has taken us from a republic t

In the GOP’s attempt to retake the Senate in 2014 the way they reclaimed the House 4 years earlier there are already several authentic battleground states from Alaska to Louisiana. New Hampshire is not exactly grouped with those tough races, but Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen may have a difficult time nonetheless. New Hampshire, the first primary state in presidential election cycles, is a significant state not only because of its primary position, but because the primary is open to independ

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”  ~Abraham Lincoln The political scientist Juan Enriquez has observed that when empires fall, it is because people give up on their government, and stop believing that their leaders represent their interests. What was once a vibrant, engaged society becomes a population of individuals focused on narrow self-interest. Quickly, what was once a purposeful nation of shared bel

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer." John F. Kennedy spoke these words in 1958 regarding the political challenges faced in America. Kennedy called for following a path of compromise -- to move the nation forward by seeking common ground between opposing interests.Over 56 years later, America is clearly off this path; partisan divisiveness once again is the rule. However, I expect Kennedy would have been proud that the Bipartisan Policy Center c

For the past decade we have seen a steady erosion of representative democracy. The modern day arms race among powerful interests, which accelerated when poorly designed campaign finance reform was overturned by the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, will likely only get worse with the decision on McCutcheon. As the money arms race continues, no one has really stopped to ask, why do campaigns actually need so much money? “This is just what it costs to reach voters,” a typical c

Massachusetts election reform bill, HB 3788, is currently being considered by the state House after passing the Senate, 37-1. At this point, the bill offers many reforms to Massachusetts voting which expand the voting rights of Massachusetts, including early voting, online voter registration, pre-registration for 16-year-olds, post-election audits of voting machines, and inactive voting reform. Early voting, which has already been adopted in 32 states, would allow people to vote 10 business day

To some, dancing comes naturally and can be self-taught; most of us require lessons. Dancing becomes a lifelong passion for many. Politics, in many ways, is also a dance, and understanding how to participate requires effort, but can be similarly rewarding.Learning to lead and follow, to maintain balance, and to keep one's frame and posture are all necessary elements of both domains. A political leader must navigate obstacles — floorcraft is the dance term — while continuing to glide seamlessly f

“Changing the way we think about politics will be a long journey,” says Bruce Skarin, an independent candidate out to challenge incumbent Senator Ed Markey in November. This week, Bruce released details on the Walk for Democracy, a 1,000-mile walking tour of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The walk will begin in Millbury, where he has lived for the last 7 years, on Sunday, April 6, with an event at 10 a.m. at the Elm Draught House Cinema. At 11 a.m., he and a band of supporters will depart f

Democratic strategist James Carville may be wrong about a great deal, but he did have it right when he started the popular phrase, “It's the economy, stupid.” The health of the U.S. economy drives the outcome of pretty much every other major issue before us. In particular, what happens with the environment, national debt, and the effectiveness of government is inextricably linked with the activities of our economy. Our economy has just had a heart attack, and without a full recovery it will no