New artificial intelligence will shake up human politics and policy — by Ed Lyons The world of government requires many kinds of experts to wage campaigns, make speeches, research policy, and write legislation. A powerful new political expert has just arrived to compete with all of them, and it is not human. I recently asked it, “What has Massachusetts Governor Charlie…

In the recent lawsuit involving the Secretary of the Commonwealth over problems gathering ballot signatures during this pandemic, the written opinions of the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court contained severe criticism of the technological abilities of Bill Galvin’s office, in light of his statements to the court that his…

The impossible man in American politics begins his sixth year overseeing our Commonwealth, maintaining his historic, sky-high approval ratings, and equal support from Republicans and Democrats in a polarized time when no one else would even seek it. Incorrect explanations of his success as a passive pragmatist collapsed last year…

The Massachusetts Republican Party cannot survive by remaining where we are standing now. We must follow Charlie Baker to more fertile land, or we will perish without him, leaving the state with unrestrained one-party rule once he is gone. But this 7,000 word essay isn’t about Governor Baker, but the…

I know you think Howie Carr’s once-broad influence is declining. I would have said that a few years ago, too. But I believe it’s now increasing again because his friend Donald Trump has legitimized and popularized his angry, nativist style. And that means here, in Greater Boston, we finally need…

America’s most popular Republican firmly controls his state party. But the party’s new platform is the latest sign that he is unable to influence the Republicans in it, most of whom would rather live in political isolation than follow a moderate out of the blue wilderness of Massachusetts. There is…

Right after New Year’s, The Boston Globe’s opinion page released some resolutions for 2018, including a surprising one titled, “Hold Facebook and Google accountable.” As a lifelong computer programmer, Globe subscriber, policy guy, and a friend of several people who work in Cambridge at Facebook and Google, I was excited…

The party decides — By Ed Lyons This morning, the Boston Globe has a story about a proposal to increase the number of super delegates to the 2018 MassGOP convention. This 1,600-word essay is about whether or not that’s a good idea. Delegates to political conventions are elected by local organizations, and then they…

Introduction Had Hillary Clinton won the presidential election, Governor Charlie Baker would be even more popular than he is now, and his re-election would be a foregone conclusion. Massachusetts Republicans would be almost entirely behind him, cheering his occasional jabs at a president he — and they — have never liked…