Chris Gabrieli: Don't go away mad, just go away.

As has been reported by many bloggeristas, there seems to be a draft Gabrieli campaign underway. The Boston Globe reports that there is a committee formed and they are trying to obtain the 500 signatures from elected delegates needed in order to place Gabrieli's name before the delegates at the Convention.

I don't know Gabrieli, but I've heard him speak at last year's statewide DFA conference. At that time there was a rumor going around that he was going to get into the Governor's race, but for whatever reason decided not to. That should have been case closed, but as we saw from the LG debacle, it ain't over, 'til it's over.

I can only speculate why this is happening. Are the so-called "party insiders" so disappointed with Reilly that they are looking for a better candidate -- better than Reilly, anyway? I get the feeling that Deval Patrick's delegate totals from the caucuses are weighing heavily on the Mass Dems folks that like to think that they have things under control.

What I don't like a whole hell of a lot of is the idea that if Gabrieli goes through with this, he will attempt to poach committed delegates from both Reilly and Patrick and that is just bullshit.

If Gabrieli wanted to be in the Governor's race, then he damn well should have gotten involved before the caucus and actually done the work. Having this "committee" do the work for him with his blessing, but not his involvement (yeah, right) is damn passive-aggressive and is also an insult to grassroots democratic activists who have been busting their asses to work for the two announced candidates.

What's worse though is the idea that all a person has to do to get into the race this late, is not so much based on support, but the ability to say, "Right. Who do I make the check out to?"

Bullocks.