Did you watch today’s Zoom interview with Newton City Councilor and candidate for Congress Jake Auchincloss by editorial page editor Bina Venkataraman? If so, what did you think
UPDATED: Here’s an news article about the conversation by reporter Stephanie Ebbert. Venkataraman said in a Tweet that video will be posted “most likely tomorrow.”
Here’s the Globe editorial board’s endorsement of Jake Auchincloss in the Democratic primary for the Fourth Congressional District and here’s some of the letters to the editor sent by Globe readers.
Here’s one new piece of reporting from Ebbert’s article in the Globe…
“Unprecedented public vetting.” Huh? Isn’t that supposed to happen regularly during campaigns about all candidates when the “newspaper of record” is supposed to be doing its job?
And “The still-endorsed and newly grilled candidate was gracious.“ Huh? Is this a news story or another opinion piece?
This whole thing is not about Jake and doesn’t reflect well or poorly on him. It’s about CYA for the Globe.
Commonwealth Magazine also wrote about the interview here: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/media/globe-ed-page-editor-grills-congressional-candidate-the-paper-endorsed/
Greg, this is embarrassing to rehash in a negative vein about minor actions or inactions in the our 24-member Newton City Council, which is not one of the most efficient or best performing government institutions. I know you are trying to say “gotcha’ but this specific issue did not get traction among city councilors. You know as well as I do that some resolutions are discussed and never acted on or may not be filed or recorded. It is an opaque process at best especially when there is no interest or action. At least, during this election, Jake is now thinking and talking about the suffering of Indigenous Americans, which means if and when he is elected he can advocate knowledgeably for this underappreciated community. I hope Village14 discourse can rise to another level in this critical federal election. Let’s deal with issues like how will our elected Congressional representative from Massachusetts participate in reversing Trump’s impact on the pandemic, climate change voting, immigration, international trade, wars, affordable housing, homelessness, racial justice and women’s rights policy – to name a few critical aspects of our Democracy.
Let’s not let negativity creep into every discussion. I am hoping you and other moderators of Village14 can step up and keep the conversation relevant to the major issues.
I am voting for Jake Auchincloss because I know he is dedicated to public service, is capable of managing a large portfolio of issues, and loves this Country.
@Tom: I’m having trouble understanding how this about me. I’m not the one who said “I co-docketed a resolution over the last couple of months” when I didn’t.
Argue that Councilor Auchincloss’ redeeming qualities overshadow his missteps if you want.
But don’t shoot the messenger (which by the way was the Globe reporter, not me. Not Village 14.)
Leave blaming the media when you’re caught making a false statement to the president.
Oh and sorry, one more thing. Docketing an item is not a “opaque process.” You either did or you didn’t.
As a former daily news reporter, I agree with you 100 percent.
But I also worked for a city desk that demanded ‘fairness’ in reporting.
From today’s Boston Globe article, “Auchincloss apologizes for past controversial comments”:
“Auchincloss’ spokeswoman Yael Sheinfeld clarified that he (Auchincloss) is supporting a new Indigenous Peoples Day effort led by a group called Families Organizing for Racial Justice in Newton. He tweeted his support on Aug. 3, in the wake of criticism about his past comments on Cambridge.”
Let’s put this nuanced media discussion behind us and move on to discussions of national policy that will impact all people in the 4th Congressional District.
For full disclosure, I am voting for Jake Auchincloss. Why? I know he is dedicated to public service, is capable of managing a large portfolio of issues, and loves this Country. I would refer all readers to Village 14 post “Jake Auchincloss – 2 Short Stories” on Aug. 10 for more insight into the candidate.
Forgive me, there is something very high-schoolish about this whole episode. The student paper (the Globe) endorsed the wrong cool kid from Newton/Brookline (Jake) for student council president. The other cool kids in the running from Newton/Brookline, angered at being passed over for what they see as rightfully theirs (especially in a crowded field with multiple candidates who largely with each other) seem to have successfully pressured the editor of the student paper to “reconsider” its endorsement by making the front-runner jump through more hoops to prove his cool kid status. They “discover” what they as evidence that he isn’t as cool as the rest of them, or that he hasn’t pledged fealty to the cause as well as the other cool kids. Instead, it’s really an excuse to make everyone forget their apparent lack of diligence prior to its endorsement, and to get back in the good graces of their classmates. It has little to actually do with the endorser. Meanwhile the rest of the high school (rest of MA-04), who lack the resources and resilience of the cool kids, and are more worried about their jobs, their health, and their futures, look on with some combination of bemusement and disgust and will show in one way or another what they really think of the cool kids.
@Thomas Friedman. Are you implying that some of the other candidates may not “love their country”, or love it less than Jake? The last time I heard this statement bandied around was in 1972 when John Wayne and others implied that George McGovern didn’t really love America because he opposed our actions in Vietnam. Sometime during the 1970s, I attended a memorable tub thumper by Jimmy Breslin in New York where he riled against politicians and their supporters who wrap themselves in the flag and claim they love America more than their opponents. For the record: George McGovern piloted more than 30 bomber missions during World War 2 while John Wayne never served a day in uniform; but McGovern never really wanted to talk about that part of his life. I stated as a veteran that military service itself should not be the ultimate determinant of a person’s fitness for office and certainly not for love of country. I’m familiar enough with all the 4th district candidates to know that all their resumes have features and accomplishments that reflect genuine love of country and gratitude at having citizenship here. Let’s leave it there.
@Greg-
A fish rots from the head down.
Village 14 is your baby. You set the “tone” my friend. You break it, you own it. You can choose whether you want Village 14 to be a negative cancerous
presence in the city, or a positive one.
Pulling a pin on a grenade, tossing it into a crowd, and then saying you aren’t responsible for the damage is getting really old.
I can’t possibly see how this endears you to the businesses
you represent at the Newton Needham
Chamber of commerce.
@Paul: I guess I need to ask you the same question I asked Tom. What exactly is it that I did? Or that Village 14 has done? I shared and quoted the Globe story. (And about a something that is very Newton specific at that.)
How specifically is that negative or cancerous?
Really, be specific.
The Globe has posted the 45 minute interview here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/video/2020/08/11/opinion/globe-op-talk-after-endorsement-questions-for-jake-auchincloss/?event=event25
I’ll give Greg’s question a go:
Jake was the only candidate who’s funding sources were questioned, V14 chose to promote Jesse M’s calling him sexist (was Jake the only candidate attacked during the debates?) in several posts, posts under the anonymous heading V14 dredge up 10 year old comments only for Jake – no other candidate has made statements during the past decade that people disagree with? Is the timeline when the candidates called for impeaching Trump really an issue – bigger than COVID, the environment or the economy?
This makes me wonder if 1. V14 isn’t looking or 2. the other candidates only speak in safe, vague language that is essentially meaningless.
So yes, to someone, like me, it seems like Jake is the only candidate under attack.
Retract last line – 2 of the 9 candidates now have negative V14 postings. Not sure why this was posted under the anonymous Village 14 tagline: Ihssane Leckey Accused of Mistreating Staff
I doubt it was Greg or Sean that posted it, since they seem willing to take the heat and keep on posting.
The heat is why I keep posting.