Calling out the Political Establishment in Massachusetts on Both the Democratic and Republican Sides

The Future is Now

It’s challenging to say the least to find inspiring “leaders” in Massachusetts in positions of influence and power willing to speak genuinely about the current realities and times.

The headlines have been coming fast and furious the past couple of weeks. Massachusetts politicians and insiders are “appalled” by RFK Jr’s confirmation as HHS Secretary. Pathetic. As the Democratic Party expels ever more people from their ranks who dare challenge the Party’s disconnected platform and as Massachusetts establishment insiders retreat further into their dying echo chamber, it is certainly no surprise to see “proper” circles in this state in a complete tizzy over the unity of MAGA and MAHA forces. Still, it is not just the Democratic Establishment that people in this state are completely fed up with, but Republican establishment politicians and insiders as well.

I grew up near Buffalo, NY, one of the many more blue-collar regions of the country that was long ago devastated by horrendous political decisions by our elite. In Massachusetts, many defenders of the status quo have been able to point out that despite all the complaining about inconvenient facts such as our state ranking dead last in basic indicators of a healthy democracy—for example, legislative competitiveness, as well as transparency in the State House—we rank at or near the top in indicators such as education level, total wealth, GDP per capita, etc. Thus, to defenders of business as usual, no real changes need to be made. My response is that Massachusetts has a couple of inherent advantages that essentially makes the state idiot proof with its political decision-making but that these traditional advantages are rapidly fading, as the problems that long ago devastated the heartland of America are now at the doorsteps of more white-collar and coastal regions of the country.

The collection of long-standing elite institutions of higher education, along with the historic character of Massachusetts guarantees a level of economic activity and wealth that other regions of the country could only dream of having. These inherent advantages have shielded the state from bureaucratic waste, corruption, and political atrophy to the point we have democracy in name only, given the stranglehold of the one-party system in place and ongoing insistence of our state insiders to resist any attempts at transparency and accountability, best exemplified by the toddler-like response of the Legislature to State Auditor Diana Dizoglio and the strong pro-transparency desires of the majority of voters via the results of Ballot Question 1 this past November.

The feckless nature of our establishment is rapidly catching up to us, though, as challenges now facing Massachusetts are much too great to ignore, with many long-time residents fleeing/considering leaving. Whether it be school district finances, crumbling infrastructure, the business climate, cost of living, erosion of personal freedoms, our health/safety, or the ill effects of identity politics on our sense of community, the need for a significant shake-up is clear. State-level political apathy is no longer acceptable.

November’s election indicates where the vitality of the electorate now stands. I have little faith the old guard of the Massachusetts Republican Party has the will or interest in doing what needs to be done to inspire a legitimate opposition political force by taking their mentality out of the Country Club and into the grassroots. There likely will never be a better time than now in Massachusetts to take advantage of the sea change in national politics; however, the Republican elite in this state seem too comfortable maintaining their positions, while the rank and file grow increasingly frustrated.

According to the New York Times, Massachusetts saw the second biggest shift of all 50 states towards Trump in 2024 compared to 2020. Only Florida saw a bigger shift towards Trump than Massachusetts. The City of Lawrence, for example, saw the winning margin for Democrats drop by an astounding near 30 points from 2020, according to GBH News Boston. People have had enough of feckless leadership and the Country Club mentality of Massachusetts politics and if existing leaders refuse to adjust, which is all but assured, people will find new proactive voices who are willing to speak to the current realities and times.

Change is coming to Massachusetts because it simply has to. There is no turning back now, it’s the people vs the entrenched establishment at every single level of society. Walls are coming down everywhere believe it. However, the old guard of the Republican Party in Massachusetts will, of course, have a hard time coming to grips with the point that the center and energy of the GOP has clearly moved away from the Board Room to something more closely resembling of a people’s party. Massachusetts can once again become a hotbed of state-level proactive political activity; still, people need leadership they can truly believe in that respects the energy and will of the average citizens of Massachusetts, which currently is not the situation with political leadership in this state.

Fortunately, many are now taking matters into their own hands to force change from the ground up. There have been many working hard quietly behind the scenes to build the movement at the state and regional levels by taking advantage of the exciting new unity seen in national politics. Insulated state-level insiders on both sides of the aisle will increasingly be exposed. The political atrophy in Massachusetts is now concentrated at the surface and upper level. Working closely with various grassroots networks the past couple of years—including with both Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump supporters in this state—it has become clear to me the political grassroots is alive and well. In fact, the all-volunteer RFK Jr. for President base in Massachusetts was regularly looked at by national as a leading example for the country. Similarly, the energy in the Massachusetts MAGA-GOP base was overflowing with proactive activity leading up to the November 2024 election, in stark contrast to the stale energy of the Massachusetts political establishment. These growing grassroots networks will increasingly work together to force change for the better in our state.