As some in the “political know” may have already surmised, Anthony Gemma has decided to throw his media savvy hat into the ring for District 1 yet again. This time will be very different however in that the current occupant of that office, David Cicilline, is all but finished in Rhode Island (RI) politics. Though it still amazes me how the guy ever made it to the halls of Congress in the first place, this news is truly a game changer, and Brendan Doherty’s team had better focus like a laser beam moving forward.
Gemma is a media smart closet Progressive masquerading as a champion of business. He has plenty of ready cash and a propensity to launch devastating and well thought attack ads against his political opponents. He has a decent grasp of the issues and is an acceptable debater. Basically, he has done this before.
Doherty is the quintessential law man and a model of integrity. His nearly 3 decades in law enforcement are littered with the hides of bad guys who had it coming. His sheer size and demeanor smack of a firm and forthright handshake to be followed by the straight skinny. He is a champion for the citizens of his state. To those who know him, there could be no better soul to send to Washington.
The problem is that RI voters are a microcosm of what’s wrong with our country today. Political cronyism and targeted pandering are the inroads to the hearts of many who will head to the polls in our state this November. For this reason I see the following as my unsolicited advice to the Trooper icon and would be Congressman:
- Tell the RI voter that you are indeed “inexperienced” and that is exactly why they should vote for you. Heck, if experience has gotten us to this point, I’ll vote for a little less of that. Note: (Brendan Doherty probably has more experience dealing with people from all walks of life than the rest of the RI Congressional Delegation combined).
- Present a “basic” viewpoint and platform for only the headline issues of the day and explain that you will do what every other “rookie” on the hill does when he gets to Washington, run like crazy to catch up, but that this will happen more quickly for you because you are sincere in your reason for wanting to be there in the first place. It will also be much easier because you will most likely be part of a Republican Congress.
- Keep it simple and control the argument. Articulate in the simplest possible terms that it will not be a cardinal sin to cast a vote for a Republican running for Pat Kennedy’s old seat, and that more of “the same” is no longer a suitable way forward for our children’s sake.
- Finally, do what you do best and tell the truth about how you have absolutely no intention of supporting any legislation that cuts social security benefits for seniors, or ships every Latino back to “Mexico”, and that “right to work” does not mean chasing unions out of the state but rather allowing for simple fairness in the process.
Anthony Gemma has timed his entrance perfectly and will attempt to paint himself as an alternative to going over to the other side. Cicilline will be removed by primary as a reason to vote for Doherty and, (in the humble opinion of this pundit), the Colonels camp had better be ready for this RI “politics as usual” strategy.
