Welcome to 201k.com - A Commonwealth Perspective.

201k is again on vacation, this time in the once-pristine White Mountains of New Hampshire (state bird: the mosquito, state animal: the internal combustion engine, state flower: sand. The rest is mostly ants). We're sitting with our friend JJ -- both of us with our toes in the water (although, technically, JJ's are in ice) -- pondering New Hampshire-type ponderables, such as: if a jet-skier goes by your place at full throttle, ignoring the "no wake" signs, are you allowed to shoot him?

But, alas, we're called upon to ponder weightier issues by Actual Journalist John Carroll, last seen here for the invitation that brought us to discuss Truth, Justice, and American Grandstand with his students at B.U. (many of whom are too young to remember a world without Mo Rocca). The cause? Something to do with an election back home.

Ah, home -- where you can buy ketchup that isn't made entirely out of corn syrup and where the meat has inspection stickers on it.

From: John Carroll
Subject: Endorsements?
Date: August 25, 2006
To: editor@201k.com

Hi, Mike,

Hope all's well with you. I'm currently doing a weekly campaign media column for the Phoenix (through election day), and am writing for next week about poliblogs and Blue Mass Group's endorsement of Deval Patrick.

Two questions:

What do you think of BMG deciding to endorse someone?

Are you planning to endorse anyone yourself?

If you feel chatty, you could call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Otherwise an e-mail would do fine.

Best,
John

Oh great.

We were really hoping to avoid this. First, we've no desire to join the circular firing squad, and thereby give anti-Democrat ammunition to the anti-democratic press (which seems to be nearly all of it these days) moving towards the general election. After all, this is the press that let Mitt Romney spin his fantastic tales here, propelling him first to the Governor's Mansion and thence to the vice-Presidency, without once pointing out that the guy would clearly say anything to get elected.

So he organized the Olympics -- whoop-dee-doo. The only Gold Medal he'd have a shot at is "Evasive Maneuvers". Yet the press went gaga over him. If memory serves, Mr. Carroll's own former boss wore a miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and false eyelashes when interviewing Romney on Greater Boston -- frankly we were embarrassed for her, throwing herself at a married man like that.

This is the press that let a succession of Republican gadflies saunter through the Commonwealth's executive branch on their way to other, even less-challenging jobs (Celucci as Ambassador to Canada, Weld as Squash Pro at the Upper, Upper West Club, and Swift at Dairy Queen), without once doing what John Ellis had the courage to do at Fox News: step in and declare his candidate the winner regardless of who the voters thought they'd chosen.

What good is a free press if it can't deliver Democratic candidates? Don't they know there's a war on?

Oh wait -- they were for this war.

JJ says we digress.

Second, we have some conflicts. Two of our top three favorite candidates are known to us, either personally or professionally. And that stuff matters. We at 201k are loyal, if nothing else.

So, we were hoping to avoid this. But John Carroll must be answered. There's no hiding under the couch when John Carroll knocks. Not if we want to get mentioned in his column or be invited back to speak at B.U. ever again.

But before our endorsement, the first question:

What do you think of BMG deciding to endorse someone?

We had to read a lot of Blue Mass Group to answer this, and frankly, it wasn't easy. We found the site very difficult to read, owing to its format. It's surprising that such smart guys (except for the musician, obviously) would create a site so hard to digest. Smallish print, lots of little paragraphs and indentations, too many links in the text. It was like reading Highlights. And what's with allowing all those reader opinions? Who cares what they think? That's the problem with Democrats -- too damn inclusive.

Give us endless, loping, long-winded blathering that preaches down from above any day.

Our answer is that Massachusetts Democrats are spoiled for choice. BMG can endorse who they want. It's just too bad that a candidate wasn't chosen in a smoke-filled room months ago, to save money and effort for the general election. If the Republicans don't waste their time and money on the democractic process we don't know why Democrats have to.

But John Carroll must be answered. So here, Poor Readers, are our Endorsements for Governor of Massachusetts in 2006, in descending order of preference:

1. Tom Reilly
2. Chris Gabrielli
3. Christy Mihos
4. Deval Patrick
5. Butch Patrick
6. Patrick Stewart
7. Jackie Stewart
8. Stan Jonathan
9. Stan Laurel
10. Barry OR Eliot
11. Kerry Healey
12. Danny Bonaduce
13. Mitt Romney

Have we forgotten someone? JJ, little help?

No? Useless Irish bastard.