Contenders

Barging ahead

Scott Harshbarger is determined to beat Joe Kennedy in the race for governor. But his real opponent is the Kennedy mystique.

by Dan Kennedy

You're Scott Harshbarger, and you've got to be pissed.

For years now, you've been getting ready to run for governor in 1998. You've bided your time, ignoring the Democratic Party honchos who wanted you to be their human sacrifice to Bill Weld in 1994. You've paid your dues: eight years as district attorney in Middlesex County, "the largest county in the state," as you never tire of pointing out. Six years as attorney general, with two more to go. And you've flexed your political muscles, winning 72 percent in your last re-election campaign and pulling in more votes than any other Democrat, including a legend named Ted Kennedy.

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Lieutenant Governor Paul Cellucci
Attorney General Scott Harshbarger
Rep. Joe Kennedy
State Treasurer Joe Malone

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So what happens? Ted's nephew Joe, the congressman from Brighton, makes noises that he wants to be governor. And all of a sudden everybody says you're toast. Especially smart-ass reporters, who just can't believe that you'd ever really run against someone as allegedly invincible as a Kennedy.

Is Ted Kennedy trying to get Bill Clinton to make you the next US attorney general? "Rumors are wonderful," you say. "I don't know who started those rumors. I intend to run for governor." For crying out loud, with Clinton up to his ears in Whitewater, the only way the Republicans will let him get rid of Janet Reno is if he names Ken Starr to replace her.

If the state Supreme Judicial Court overturns the term-limits referendum, will you consider running for re-election? "No," you say, lips tightening into a smile over clenched teeth. "Eight years is plenty of opportunity for me to make my mark and then go on. So regardless of the outcome of the term-limits challenge, I will not run again for attorney general."

If the race against Kennedy looks undoable, would you run for his congressional seat instead? "No," you say, exasperated. "I'm amazed at the number of things that have been suggested that I do other than continue to be attorney general and run for governor." Besides, Joe's brother Max just moved into the district. Why wimp out on running against one Kennedy only to end up running against another?

Last summer you said that you have the "intelligence" to be governor. Were you implying that Joe Kennedy is stupid? "I didn't say that," you protest. "I was referring in my statement that I felt that I had the record, vision, leadership, and intelligence to lead this state into the 21st century." An aide scurries off, and reappears several minutes later with a campaign poster from 1994 touting your qualifications. Among them: SMART. "I said what I said, but I was referencing myself," you say, pointing to the poster as proof of your benign intent. "I make no comment whatsoever about others. They can speak for themselves."

It's ironic. You might actually have a better chance than Joe does of beating either of the likely Republican candidates, State Treasurer Joe Malone or Lieutenant Governor Paul Cellucci. Kennedy's presence in the race would make it a nationally watched contest; out-of-state money would no doubt pour into Republican coffers. In Massachusetts, the Democrats win elections that are smooth, low-key, and not particularly fractious. The Republicans have to raise the stakes to be able to win, and a Kennedy candidacy would give them the chance to do that.

"Any Democrat in Massachusetts has the upper hand, but Harshbarger has a proven record on state issues, and he's also a lot smarter. I don't think anybody in this state wants a governor who has to take off his shoes to count past 10," says Republican political consultant Charles Manning, offering a vicious preview of what the GOP's tactics are likely to be if Joe Kennedy's the gubernatorial nominee.

You wait for the next volley, fiddling with your Elvis coffee cup. By now, the King would have dumped its contents on the reporter's head, but you try to be polite. And you wonder whether you'll ever have a chance to talk about why you think you should be governor, instead of your role as a bit player in the ongoing saga of the Kennedy family.

Part 2

Dan Kennedy can be reached at dkennedy[a]phx.com.