On to November – Menino and Flaherty move on to general election

Mayor Thomas Menino will be facing Councillor Michael Flaherty in the Election Day final that is six weeks away.

Despite a great deal of voter unrest, voter dissatisfaction with the economy and with government, Menino survived a strong challenge from three opponents.

However, Flaherty, City Councillor Sam Yoon and businessman Kevin McCrea combined didn’t best the mayor.

The mayor’s victory and the results for Flaherty and the others prove that unseating Mayor Menino even during a year of turmoil, and despite the fact he has served for so long, is something much easier said than done.

If the Mayor’s Achilles’ heal is the e-mail controversy that has recently come into the public light, then not very much is going to change.

First of all, the mayor doesn’t use the computer.

He doesn’t send e-mail.

He communicates by telephone and through his subordinates, who all use e-mail.

That some e-mail has been erased is problematic, and frankly, the mayor should address the problem and correct it and that would be the end to the discussion about e-mail.

Any way he chooses to look at it, any way his supporters and advisors tend to perceive it, Flaherty has his work cut out for him if he wishes to sweep Menino from the mayor’s office in order to give Boston a new face.

The real question remains – does Boston want a new mayor or is Boston happy with the way things are?

The mayor’s strong showing makes him almost unbeatable in the Election Day final.

Of course, anything can happen.

Miracles have been known to occur, even in Boston politics – but not lately, and not by anyone running against a hardworking mayor who has won the hearts, to an extent the minds and the votes of the majority of voting people in this city.

Mayor Menino proved his strength last Tuesday. He proved it convincingly.

The voters and Lady Luck were with him.

It is unlikely that much will change during the next six weeks.

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