I have to give Republican congressional candidate Nathan Bech a little credit. He certainly has taken one campaign strategy to heart and run with it: slam your opponent for every position he takes (In the campaign handbook there is probably a note that says the exception to the rule is that if your opponent actually says something true or sensible you should forgo criticism of it, but I'm guessing Bech just stopped reading when he got to the part about attacking).What is the basis for Bech's latest attack? Congressman John Olver said last week that if Massachusetts loses a congressional district after the 2010 censust, the state house should combine the four counties of Western Massachusetts into one district.
I've gotta say, that's about the most sensible thing I've ever heard from John Olver.
But, since Bech's book says you must attack even the best and most obviously true statements of your opponent, Nathan Bech replied with this:
"This plan will obliterate the leverage of our poorest and most rural communities," Bech said in a statement. "I still want to fight for Gardner, Athol, Leominster, and Fitchburg."First, Gardner, Athol, Leominster, and Fitchburg don't qualify as our poorest and most rural communities. Maybe Athol would be on the "poorest" list, but none of them are at all rural.
And one more thing...Those of us in North Central Worcester County don't want you or John Olver or anyone else from the land of Shay's Rebellion representing us. We share common issues with Worcester, not Pittsfield, Amherst and Greenfield. The best thing for us would be for the state house to redistrict us into Jim McGovern's third district where we belong.
Ask any citizen of the North County what they think of John Olver and 80% of them will say "Who?" Ask nearly any politician in the North County about John Olver and they will roll their eyes. To a person, they would rather share a district with Worcester than with the Berkshires.
If Nathan Bech wants to make hay with voters here, he ought to heartily endorse Olver's plan to redistrict us out of his territory, but make the argument about being fair to the people of the North County, as opposed to Olver's explanation of how it would benefit the West.
But that would mean agreeing with the opponent, a tactic missing from the Bech playbook.
Tags: Massachusetts John Olver Election 2008 Congress Redistricting Nathan Bech
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