BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 30, 2016) —Last night, THE PLANET attended a debate between Democrat candidates for the state House: Machine candidate Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and intrepid challenger Mike Bloomberg. We didn’t fall asleep nor did we rely on toothpicks. Our shades worked just fine.

Jonathan Levine‘s The Pittsfield Gazette hosted the debate at Berkshire Community College.

Who “won?”

Bloomberg.

Was it enough? The debate was sparsely attended, the small 125-seat K-111 theater at BCC less than half full at the start, and most of those “Believers” of one side or the other. PC-TV will get an electronic audience, but how large and who among them will vote? THE PLANET predicts a painfully low turnout, which plays right into the Machine candidate’s hand.

The candidates broke little ground, although the fault lies with the woeful moderator, Larry Kratka, who “came out of retirement,” as Trish put it in an odd aside that revealed perhaps too much familiarity. Retirement? Mothballs is more like it — the ones that have been in Kratka’s mouth ever since he first said “da da.” Kratka, who can’t pronounce “cat” without it sounding like “mphfphtbc,” killed any momentum the evening could have had with the ridiculousness of his first three questions:

Q1 — “Why are you running?” Really? The most cliched’ and “colleened” question of all time? As your first launch?

Q2 — Kratka then asked about the city council’s ban on exhibiting animals in Pittsfield? Huh? You’re the moderator. You have a wealth of probing questions on huge issues, and you ask about periphery?

Q3 — By the third query, it got agonizing. Kratka asked Bloomberg and Farley-Bouvier what they thought about a ban on plastic bags!!??!! The correct answer for Bloomberg would have been, “I’m against it, Larry, because I will need one with which to suffocate you.” Trish had to love it (“I have some behavior to change when it comes to plastic bags” Painful!). Bloomberg had a great moment when he told Kratka that he and his campaign have knocked on 7,000 doors, and not one person mentioned plastic bags as a top-three issue. By the time they got through these irrelevancies, one-third of the hour was up. One could see Bloomberg justifiably chaffing at the lost opportunity. It couldn’t have worked out any better for TFB. Was Kratka stooge-ing for the Machine ? And while we’re at it, why was he so unctuously chatting up Tricia prior to the debate? It was embarrassing to see.  Bloomberg wore a jacket and blue tie, Trish fire-engine red, and Kratka an outfit of cheap “wink-wink, nudge-nudge.”

Pittsfield’s Non-existent Economy? Amazingly, It Never Came UP

Amazingly, the dim moderator did not ask one question about the woeful local economy. Again, this favored the incumbent. Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about the implosion of Pittsfield’s economy while she’s been rep. Bloomberg’s best moments came when he talked about that very thing, which, unfortunately, he had to work into other responses and in his closing statement. He nailed his closing, pointing out that since TFB has been in office, Pittsfield taxes have been raised 41% and the remnants of the local economy have deteriorated into seeds and stems.

TFB, who looked tired, did not make eye contact with the audience. Bloomberg did. She stared oddly above everyone’s heads, a gesture that those fluent in body language will interpret as nervousness and a lack of conviction. The only person she stared at the entire evening was her opponent, whenever he was answering a question. Was she trying to intimidate him, or does it mean Mike Bloomberg is in her head, big time?

Bloomberg said he attended every single budget session as well as council meetings. TFB admitted she didn’t, adding she keeps in touch with the mayor, school superintendent, school committee, and councilors by — er — texting. Great. She relies on a medium favored by teen-age girls. She took few positions on meaningful issues, ducking by repeatedly mentioning “teamwork.” She appeared condescending, at times lecturing Bloomberg. She said the state doesn’t have a spending problem. It has a revenue problem. Her answer? More taxes. Bloomberg agreed. Massachusetts has a revenue problem, but “the answer is not more taxes.” Rather it’s to increase revenue by passing policies that will grow the economy. Point, set, and match — Bloomberg.

She ducked the “yes-no” question on whether Walmart is a good fit for PEDA. She said, “I’m listening to people.” Bloomberg is against the project and offered an articulate and reasoned defense of his position.

In sum, TFB texts. Bloomberg has knocked on 7,000 doors and counting. She tweets. He looks people in the eyes and talks to them. She reports to the local Big Shots, who have the plays called by Boston. He reports to ordinary citizens. In her closing statement, she brought out her usual dagger, saying “State Representative is not an entry-level position,” trying to paint him as too young and inexperienced.

Rather it was she who came off as the immature one.

Bloomberg wants it more, but will that be enough? With miserable turnout, she wins. If by some miracle the electorate gets energized and comes out in unexpected numbers on Sept. 8, he pulls off the upset.

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“Politicians only display creative thinking when making excuses after they get caught doing something illegal.” — Alfred E. Neuman

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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