The Hiller Instinct: The Flaherty/Yoon Ticket
Is it a gimmick? Absolutely!
Because Boston voters don't elect a deputy mayor---so Sam Yoon's name won't be on the ballot...and--legally--he's not Michael Flaherty's running mate.
But who cares about that? This move more than shakes up this race...it creates it.
Here's the truth: yesterday the mayor's race was over, and, now, it's just starting.
Give Flaherty credit, and he deserves plenty. One of the raps on him is that he's old school, from an old Southie political family.
But this is the most modern politics--stretching some rules--playing with others-- and producing confusion to gain an advantage...
And there are 17,179 advantages Flaherty could get from Yoon, because that's the number of votes Yoon won last week.
Sure, Menino got more than Flaherty and Yoon combined...but not by much. And 49 per cent of the voters went against Menino.
So, know this: the Mayor's campaign has just changed...from auto-pilot to all hands on deck.
And even if the Flaherty-Yoon "ticket" doesn't get enough votes to win, it will get enough to give the Mayor indigestion.
And should it come to pass that--together--Flaherty and Yoon do beat the Mayor...do you think Charlie Baker and Tim Cahill might think about teaming up to take on the Governor?
Now that would be cunning times two.
I'm Andy Hiller, and that's my instinct.
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