Q&A #1 -- 2013 Mayoral

Here we go, off and running with Ask Me Anything Day! First up, "Rob" asks:

If Menino defeats Flaherty in November's election, does Flaherty become the immediate front-runner for the 2013 mayoral election? What are your thoughts on what Sam Yoon does? I'm also interested on which current candidates (Menino or Flaherty) other potential 2013 candidates are supporting/endorsing, and if you think that affects their future chances at all.

To take your last question first: I don't think there are any likely 2013 candidates, other than Flaherty and Yoon, who have publicly backed Flaherty or Yoon. This is partly because many of them truly support Menino, and mostly because Boston's pols are craven, boot-licking toadies terrified of being on the mayor's bad side.

I think Flaherty and Yoon are both in very good shape to run in 2013, and both would be very formidable candidates. I think at this point it seems like both helped their future prospects, rather than hurt them. And both would still be young enough in 2013. But it's hard to say who should be considered a front-runner -- there are just too many unknowns at this point. Will 2013 be another race against Menino? Or a wide-open race with Menino retiring? Or a race against an acting mayor, after Menino left office early? Meanwhile, we don't know what happens to them in between now and then -- what other office they might run for, or what other opportunity might arise (possibly even taking them out of Boston).