The Hiller Instinct: Hiller Instinct: Governor's debate review

The issues weren't new, but the group of candidates discussing them was, and that made this debate different.

Kerry Healey tried and tried to put frontrunner Deval Patrick on the spot.

"My opponent, Deval Patrick, has numerous spending proposals, and some of them are very vague," Healey said. "If cutting taxes is the question, then Deval Patrick is not the answer."

But Patrick rarely had to respond, thanks to Independent Christy Mihos, who could have been Patrick's running mate at this Fox25-Boston Herald debate.

"All the Republicans are voting to override you," Mihos said to Healey. "So they know that you can't get it done, because you won't work with the legislature."

"When Jane Swift, your hero, was firing me, you were calling her as head of the Republican Party, your hero," Mihos added.

"You're my hero, Christy," Healey said. "You're my hero."

And when she did get through to take a shot at Patrick:

"The thing that concerns me most is that if Deval Patrick wins this election, we will go back to the Dukakis era, when there's only one party represented on Beacon Hill," Healey said.

Patrick was ready.

"I think the balance that people want is between a fairly entrenched, inward looking political establishments and an outsider in the Corner Office," he said.

Mihos insisted that he is more than a spoiler, who can’t win, but will help defeat Healey.

"Maybe she's gonna spoil my election," Mihos said. "But how can you spoil a system that's rotten?"

Grace Ross said she's running to rebuild democracy.

"If we can't have a democracy for and by the people, if all we can have is a democracy for rich folks, then we don't have a government anymore," she said.

For Deval Patrick, this was a dream debate; for Kerry Healey, a nightmare.

Patrick was the clear winner. He floated above the fray, always in calm control.

If Patrick wins this election, he should think about giving Christy Mihos a job.

Because it was Mihos who made Healey the big loser. If Healey feels this debate was two or even three against one, and that she was the one, she has reason to.

The only poll out so far shows Patrick far ahead, and, after this debate, it isn't certain we have a race, and not just an election, for Governor.

I'm Andy Hiller, and that's my Instinct.

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