Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
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In Boston, Tom Menino Faces His Toughest Test
Thomas Menino has been mayor of Boston for 16 years and has never had a close race. He's thrived even as he resembled a politician from a different era. The legendarily inarticulate Menino -- his malapropisms are the stuff of Shakespearean comedy -- isn't suited to mass communication.
But, he's succeeded by shaking every hand and kissing every baby. He's also succeeded by commanding a loyal political apparatus. It hasn't hurt that, by virtually all accounts, the quality of life in Boston has improved during his tenure.
Menino's critics charge that he is insular and out-of-touch. Can an old-school pol like Menino still win? We'll get our first answer tonight as the field of four candidates (all Democrats) is winnowed to two ahead of the November runoff.
The New York Times, ironically enough, has a good article previewing the election, which it notes is the most difficult reelection battle of Menino's tenure.
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