If Kim Driscoll actually thinks she’s going to be a co-governor or equal accomplice to Maura Healey, she’s deluded.
Get used to chairing Governor’s Council conferences and schlepping off to Longmeadow to brainstorm with the assistant city supervisor.
The job of lieutenant governor is so ineffective that if she or he resigns, the publish is left vacant till the following election. The solely official operate of the LG is to chair the typically comical Governor’s Council and stand in for the governor when she’s out of state. That’s it.
Kim Driscoll will likely be no completely different than most different lieutenant governors who’ve been given restricted roles and no energy.
But there might be dangers for Healey if Driscoll tries to fake she has a job, and oversteps her boundaries or is out of step with the Healey administration.
Healey is an excessive amount of of an impartial political participant to let her second in command get an excessive amount of of the highlight.
The historical past of lieutenant governors in Massachusetts is plagued by disappointment and failure – with a number of exceptions.
Former Gov. William Weld was comparatively weak and lazy and was completely happy to present his lieutenant, Paul Cellucci, a co-governor position. Weld was checked out enjoying squash three days every week or touring to his Adirondack trip house.
Cellucci benefitted when it was time for him to run for governor, defeating Democrat Scott Harshbarger.
Cellucci’s lieutenant governor, Jane Swift, turned performing governor however she turned a legal responsibility and didn’t even run for governor when the election got here round.
The excellent news for Driscoll is that due to her restricted energy, there’s much less likelihood of her screwing up.
But it does often occur.
Former Gov. Deval Patrick assigned his second banana, Tim Murray, the same old activity of maintaining in shut contact with municipal officers, however Murray managed to develop into a political drawback because of a mysterious, early morning automobile crash in a state car.
Murray resigned to develop into head of Worcester’s Chamber of Commerce, leaving the LG place vacant.
The lieutenant governor who most likely had the least to do was Kerry Healey. Her superior, Mitt Romney, handled Healey like an undesirable appendage and stored her totally out of the loop. Healey’s solely use was to develop into performing governor when Romney was out of state on one in all his many political journeys.
Healey ran for governor herself after Romney left however was trounced by Patrick, partially as a result of she had no accomplishments as second in command.
The outgoing lieutenant governor, Karyn Polito, had a job with municipal authorities however was relegated to comparatively innocent duties like making an attempt to run the Governor’s Council. The undeniable fact that she selected to not run for the highest job says all of it about lieutenant governors.
They’re not at all times what they’re cracked as much as be.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”