Hey, there! Log in / Register

Veterans group organized to back a Flynn for Mayor bid

Politico reports a group of "veterans across Massachusetts" has started work to convince City Councilor Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Downtown), and a Navy vet himself, to run for mayor next year. It has an official PR spokesman, who now has his own PR firm but who, Politico notes, is "an alum" of Regan Communications, which is run, of course, by George Regan, who wants to "save our city" from those dreaded left-wingers like Michelle Wu.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

Mayor Wu just pulled 60% of the vote for a brand new, first time candidate against the last election's second highest at-large vote getter...

No shot anybody beats her next year, but these mediocre white dudes should feel free to ruin their reputations trying.

up
80

Wu is a nice person and intelligent, but she is not in touch with reality, and run by people who are motivated by self-promotion, bad faith, and race-based anger and revenge. As a "mediocre white dude", who has been a community activist and volunteer for well over 40 years, I feel betrayed first by Marty and now by Michelle. If Ed Flynn runs, he has my vote and my public support.

up
66

Anon?

up
62

And she's intelligent enough to know she'll get more votes by pandering to those who aren't in touch with reality.

up
32

= when a politician says things i don’t agree with

up
14

Wu should be a role model for women’s hard won rights to take her full maternity leave, but instead she’s undermining the necessity of maternity leave, both for those with luxurious resources who feel they cannot leave the “success space” and those without resources who have to get right back to work. It’s the latter group she’s abandoned by her recent example. Plus, what kinda mayor splits the scene without telling anyone and without having a plan for her absence. If she’d a only been up front during that episode it wouldna beena scandal.
No, in this regard she is not in touch with reality.
I am bothered by populists who try to touch our happy places. I don’t trust populists because I can’t discern their moral core beneath all the gloss.

Tangental to politics- former President Trump is a loathsome, loathsome man amongst a cadre of loathsome people executing the agenda of a terrible cabal. Justice has not been weaponized, he did the crimes. He is a far, far more imperfect instrument that thought I’m sure, but his imperfections serve our enemies far more than the ideals of the original cabal. He is the one making a banana republic-eating monkey out of us. The slope to fascism right now is much steeper than the current slope through socialism into technocracy/communism. Both incline towards tyranny. Politicians are a cypher for most and we need to work to not demonize each other.

up
22

Whether or not Wu takes maternity leave is really only up to her, her family and perhaps, her doctor. She's had two children while serving in public office; I'm sure she knows if she needs a break and will take it (presumably after birth).

up
51

I can’t argue with that. You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I don’t know her and I was lumping her in with a type of behavior I've experienced and seen in life. People work hard to attain privilege and make something and it shouldn’t be held against them I just get concerned that the standards and examples of powerful people and celebrities can undermine the reality and diminish the needs of working people.

Women/families with fewer blessings shouldn’t beat themselves up for taking maternity leave in the face other examples (not even talking about Wu here) creating different expectations and pressures usually without acknowledging their advantages (and being clueless about their insensitivity) and I’m not even talking about Swift’s helicopter.

Again, it’s unfair for me to unfairly generalize about the Mayor. I've seen first hand powerful women in this town (the metro area) treat their subordinate women staff terribly, in a way wholly at odds with their public image and their life’s work. So, at times, I am a bit jaundice and look askance at shit, but I am overjoyed when I’m wrong.

up
22

Cartwright had Pressley, Campbell and plenty of others beyond the mayor. And some of us maybe voted to keep Nee-Walsh from getting on the Council.

up
28

Cartwright may have had endorsements from Pressley and Campbell, but the on the ground machine was Wu's.

Also, of course, Wu will also have those endorsements when she runs for reelection.

up
24

Adam - The other day you had some twerp making fun of the Irish, now someone is dismissing someone, and others collectively owing to their race.

I guess you are allowing bias up here.

Not what I expected from you.

up
52

is not an ethnic slur, it's a description. Are you offended by being called white?

up
70

It says Mediocre White Dudes.

The S makes it plural.

It is a racist slur.

up
45

I know of two mediocre white dudes who have been talking about running, Flynn and Kraft. I don't know what your internal logic here is, but when you have more than one white dude in the English language, you add an "s".

I guess you could say they make up a mediocre white dude "brace", "pair" or perhaps a "duet" instead?

up
54

You poor little bunny.

up
42

Yep, as others here managed to sus out in a way you're apparently unable to, I was talking about the specific mediocre white dudes who have been rumored to be challenging.

up
26

For a mediocre white guy...

Thank you, Offspring

up
32

Truly the most oppressed people in Boston: the Irish!

up
35

"Mediocre white dude" is well within the discourse and descriptive.

In Flynn's case, I will add "nepo baby of a boozebag mediocrity and Republican shill" and "shithead."

The Irish can take being made fun of. Sure, nobody does it more than themselves.

This "Veterans for Flynn" is so transparent astroturfing and PR bullshit. How many in the group, three? What are their names?

up
48

I feel I have the right to use that particular "slur," (not a slur)

up
32

You've made ableist comments here before.

As always, every accusation is just projection.

up
37

… mediocre white Irish wannabe pigeon poker.

There you go. Feel better now?

up
23

You're saying Ed Flynn ISNT a mediocre white dude?

That's definitely an apt descriptor from everything I've seen over the years.

He has no shot at this whatsoever but him running is very troubling assuming he knows who his supporters will be by and large?

if he runs it will be to embolden those knuckledraggers looking to bring the city backwards.

up
26

Just certain to lose. Let’s be gracious winners.

up
16

I couldn't care less who veterans or anyone else that doesn't live here thinks should be mayor.

There's also no way I'd vote for Flynn, no matter how much flag-waving he does.

up
52

I have this phrase I use a lot.. its like something you'd see on Match Game.

Just because someone is ____________ doesn't mean they aren't _____________ .

This blankety blank phrase fits so many things. Like this

Just because someone is a vet doesn't mean they aren't a buffoon.

:-)

up
42

From Dominic Armenta, the group's PR person:

Boston-area Veterans Unite to Form Veterans for Ed Flynn Dedicated to Supporting Boston City Councilor Flynn

Boston, Mass. (September 12, 2024) – Today marks the announcement of the upcoming formation of Veterans for Ed Flynn, a coalition of Boston-based Veterans dedicated to celebrating Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn (U.S. Navy Retired, Operation Enduring Freedom) for his ongoing commitment to those that served our country.

Veterans for Ed Flynn is formed by a diverse group of Veterans across Massachusetts rallying for Ed Flynn who understands that leadership during these challenging times is important. As a city councilor, Flynn is a tireless advocate for a city that is safe, inclusive and prosperous for all residents, in all of Boston’s neighborhoods. Veterans for Ed Flynn will be organizing a series of community events and initiatives to support the critical work of Councilor Flynn who believe having a veteran in elected office is important to the city and our nation.

"Veterans for Ed Flynn is in the process of being formed to embolden and inspire Ed Flynn to continue his positive leadership in Boston,” said Dominic Amenta, spokesperson for Veterans for Ed Flynn. “An additional announcement about the organization and its constituents will be made in the weeks ahead.”

Others interested in helping the organization are encouraged to attend a fall reception honoring Ed Flynn on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 from 5 – 8 p.m. at Florian Hall in Dorchester. For those unable to attend, and would like more information about joining Veterans for Ed Flynn, they can send an email to [email protected] .

up
25

...up in tax-free New Hampshire.

up
41

That is all you need to know about these suburban interlopers. I'd call them carpetbaggers, but they don't even have the decency to move into the city they're trying to interfere in!

If you don't live here, keep your opinions to yourself and your activism to your own community.

up
33

the term "mediocre white dudes" doesn't actually say that all white dudes are mediocre.

Can we trust the people who use such language to recognize the (putatively few) well-above mediocre white dudes in our midst?

NO ONE KNOWS/ not bloody likely

up
17

These seems like some astroturf bullshit to destabilize city hall.

Everything Ed Flynn has ever said (to date) is that he has zero interest in being mayor ("there was one Mayor Flynn and it was my dad" (paraphrasing)) and would rather move on to the VA eventually.

So, where is this group coming from that wants to egg him into fighting Wu for mayor? Seems like some serious outsider ("Veterans from MA" not "Veterans from Boston"?) bullshit. It's the kind of shit that the broader conservasphere likes to push and try to get Democrats to fight themselves and then point and say "see...they're completely disorganized mess...and the mayor's a leftist psycho!".

up
27

Sure, he's said he doesn't want to run for mayor, but his grandstanding recently about downtown crossing and the supposed crime wave (when we're at record lows in crime rates!) show that he's gearing up for a campaign.

For sure this group was not founded without his blessing.

up
25

According to the Census Bureau, 2.3% of the population of the City of Boston are veterans. It has a +/- of 0.3%, so maybe as high as 2.6%. Round up and let's say there are 20,000 veterans. There are about 400,000 registered voters in Boston. So best case scenario, veterans make up 5% of the electorate. Maybe they turn out more, and it gets up to 6 or 7%.

up
22

Presumably many of them have or are in families.

up
26

True, but also I'm sure they're not (even close to) all in Flynn's camp. All the veterans I know in Boston (save 1 who I'm not sure about) are pretty solidly on board the Wu train.

up
23

That doesn't mean their spouses and kids would all vote Flynn.

presumably many don't vote, are unmarried, or didn't have kids btw.

up
21

One would think if a group of people in this case, old white men and old white, (Irish men) are losing their iron grip over control of the city as has been evident for about a decade now…..that they would try to lose and fade away as quietly as possible.

But no-they want to take the other strategy of not going down without a fight. I think does a disservice to their cause because you’re just giving people another extremely visible example of how uncompetitive and unappealing you are today.

obviously, Ed Flynn not gonna win a mayoral contest in Boston. So why put him in a position to lose, because it makes other white men, the people that you want to control things, look bad.

up
17

Imagine how much fun it would be for Mayor Wu to run unopposed. Truly the white men waiving the white flag of surrender. No Kraft, no Flynn, no Murphy willing to take a certain 30 point defeat.

up
17

They had the good sense not to. So why try and trout this dude out here. He'll get smoked and disappear so I guess it aint so bad.

up
15