he chaotic launching of Jack E. Robinson III's US Senate campaign is symptomatic of a far larger problem the Republican Party in Massachusetts has failed to solve: the lack of grassroots robust enough to generate real competition for Democrats across the full range of political offices. This may please Democrats, but it is not a healthy situation for the long-term interests of the public.
The success of Republicans William Weld and Paul Cellucci in winning the governorship in the three most recent elections offers only partial balance to the dominance of Democrats in the Legislature and in Congress. One would have thought that Weld's popularity would have drawn more Republicans to run for office. It did not.
Republican leaders have been trying to field more candidates. But in 1998, with Cellucci running an energetic campaign, the party managed to produce candidates in only 18 of 40 Senatorial districts and 62 of 160 House districts. Cellucci's coattails didn't get anyone on the ballot, much less into office.
Similarly in congressional races, the GOP had only seven candidates for 10 seats in 1998. So far this year, only two - Peter Abair of Pittsfield and Tom Tavener of Rockland - have declared a challenge to the all-Democrat delegation. Republican state chairman Brian Cresta is looking hard but says it is hard to find new recruits in a robust economy.
Victory ought not be the only objective of a party in getting candidates on the ballot. Competition, even when the result looks pretty certain, makes people think about political issues and can stimulate genuine debate. That's healthy.
Robinson's improbable entry, in the teeth of the overwhelming electoral strength of Senator Edward Kennedy, illustrates the poverty of political purpose in much of America. Poorly vetted by party officials who at first embraced him, Robinson's only conspicuous asset was the million dollars he planned to spend campaigning.
