Michelle Wu has an opportunity to be a real “individuals’s mayor” in her second time period – really partaking the general public and press relatively than by means of canned statements and softball interviews.
Wu has mastered the artwork of placing out tightly managed messages in her first time period – retreating to protected areas like liberal public radio or pleasant podcasts.
Sufficient of that. This isn’t state media.
As voters get an opportunity to weigh in on the mayor’s race on Tuesday, they deserve a chief govt who is actually clear and never afraid to participate in actual debates and difficult questioning.
Wu ought to simply be capable of deal with debates in opposition to her opponent, Josh Kraft earlier than the November remaining election. But it surely’s possible she’ll attempt to discover pleasant venues and moderators to host the debates.
Whereas he was no expert debater, the late Tom Menino was referred to as the “individuals’s mayor” as a result of he was accessible to voters and the media practically daily of his 5 phrases, making a deep connection to the neighborhoods.
When Menino wasn’t out there, his loyal press secretary, Dot Joyce, responded to media questions – not a generic “administration spokesperson” afraid to even give their title.
Wu, who labored below Menino at Metropolis Corridor, has not taken the identical tack and has really alienated herself from a section of the neighborhood that has dared to problem her, like these opposing her White Stadium rebuilding plan.
Every part is a ready assertion or speaking factors or softball interviews.
Her press workplace will typically refer reporters to statements she’s made on different media reveals like her favourite, WGBH.
Wu takes assaults personally and is skinny skinned, dismissing the criticism relatively than attempting to study one thing from her errors. Wu has in actual fact not admitted a mistake in her 4 years as mayor, even when it’s apparent, like her over enlargement of motorcycle lanes and the failure to regulate the open drug use and crime from Mass and Cass.
If voters have an issue with all these bike lanes and velocity bumps and reconfigured roads, she ought to deal with it and admit the failings.
And if it’s clear that the White Stadium challenge will value taxpayers effectively over $100 million, she ought to search for one other approach to do it.
The danger for Bostonians is that if Wu does win a second time period – and he or she has a 50-point lead – she might be even much less accessible and accountable. That’s actually scary.
