The Globe (well, technically, a University of New Hampshire survey group hired by the Globe) is surveying Boston residents to try to discern who might put up a good fight against Tom Menino next year.

The list of potential challengers, as seen by Globe survey takers: City Councilor at Large Michael Flaherty, West Roxbury/JP City Councilor John Tobin, Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, successful businessman and unsuccessful candidate Chris Gabrieli and, of course, 1-800 Joe 4 Oil Kennedy, who, by law, has to be included in every single poll taken in Suffolk County.

Among the basic questions are how satisfied residents are with everything from education and crime fighting to street cleanliness and the state of public transportation and taxi service in their neighborhoods (taxi service as a big issue next year?).

Michael Pahre reports on e-mail from the councilor criticizing "the administration" for its failure to get a constituent-complaint tracking system running:

... I believe we have just heard the opening salvo of the 2009 Mayoral campaign. ...

Former DA Ralph Martin declines to run for mayor, citing ambivalence over how he wants to spend the next 10 years.

David Bernstein at the Phoenix: Will nobody step in with a serious campaign to enliven the tedium of the suffering political journalists?

Michael Pahre takes note of newbie at-large city councilor John Connolly (best known in West Roxbury and Roslindale) and his quick learning of the BC expansion issue and wonders if it might already be time to add him to the list of possible candidates for mayor next year:

We'll watch those fund-raising numbers carefully over the next six months to see how well he replenishes his warchest.

Boston Maggie surveys the mayoral career of Hugh O'Brien, who took office on this day in 1885:

... Popular among both native- and Irish-born Bostonians, Hugh O'Brien paved the way for the better known Irish mayors who would follow him— "HoneyFitz" Fitzgerald and James Michael Curley. ...

John Tobin discusses his proposal tomorrow (12/4) at 2:30 p.m. at Blog Talk Radio (if you miss it live, it'll be available on demand at the same place).

David Bernstein lists and rates their odds against another presumed Menino re-election bid in 2009. Interesting article, but the Phoenix really needs to find a photo of Michael Flaherty taken sometime more recently than 1983. Also: Joe Kennedy for mayor? Does the guy even live in Boston anymore? And even if he does, ugh, enough's enough with him and his presumed right to whatever office somebody thinks he's running for.

Flaherty in the Phoenix:

Flaherty last month:

Kevin wonders: If Mike Bloomberg can buy himself the mayor's office in New York and some rich guy in Philadelphia can announce he'll be spending $5 million of his own money to become mayor, what if some local rich guy ran for mayor of Boston?

... [A] wealthy and charismatic outsider could attract the attention and buzz that Hub mayoral challenger Maura Hennigan was never able to get. Who would be Boston's Bloomberg or Katz, or Schwarzenneger? ...

The Globe wraps up the results and quotes former City Councilor Larry DiCara that this mandate will let Menino restructure city government (as opposed to his previous mandates?).

The Herald also provides a wrap-up. Its former councilor of choice is Michael McCormack, who gets off a good one about the election being a replay of David and Goliath, only this time Goliath had a howitzer (note to bostonherald.com: Could you guys buy another hamster? The one powering your Web site this morning seems awfully tired). Hennigan tells the Herald she might run again.

On the City Council side of things, don't count on sweeping changes since only one newcomer (Yoon, profiled by the Herald) gained a seat. John Connolly got squeezed between the new-Boston Yoon supporters and the old-line Murphy voters. But while turnout among minorities once again rose (helping Yoon and Arroyo), yuppies once again largely sat on their oh-so-toned asses, dooming the campaigns of people like Susan Passoni and Gibran Rivera. All this leaves Adam at the Phoenix feeling let down.

Eileen McNamara says would-be Republican governor Kerry Healey could learn from Hennigan's failed bid - how to avoid being trivialized.

Live results for the mayoral and city-council races.