Cashman: Berwick should bet it all on his 
casino stance

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="960"] HOPING TO MAKE A STATEMENT: Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Donald Berwick.
Photo by: Matt Stone[/caption]

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Donald Berwick may not want to be known as a one-issue candidate, but it should be his sole focus and winning strategy for today’s Suffolk University/Boston Herald debate.

This is the last chance for the candidates to sell their message to voters, and more importantly to delegates ahead of this weekend’s state Democratic Convention.

The poll reveals growing disdain for casinos in Massachusetts. The results show Bay State voters oppose casinos 47 percent to 37 percent. This is a big swing compared to February’s poll, which showed voters favoring casinos 51 percent to 37 percent.

Berwick needs to capitalize on his anti-casino stance. He is the only candidate in the race firmly against gaming in the commonwealth.

Now is not the time to talk about his single-payer health plan for Massachusetts.

Most importantly, Berwick needs to target frontrunner Martha Coakley. After all, the attorney general is the roadblock for a ballot question this fall that would ask voters if they want to repeal the state’s gaming law.

Her office found that the ballot question was not constitutional. Now the state Supreme Judicial Court will make the final call this summer.

In fact, Coakley should let Berwick get in a few cheap shots because her campaign would benefit from having more candidates on the ballot. Throw him this bone. It’s not like he has a real shot at winning in the primary.

Just keep him around so Berwick’s supporters don’t go to her biggest Democratic rival, Steve Grossman. That way she could continue enjoying a double-digit lead.

Grossman wants it to be a two-horse race so he can pick up support from the three other candidates in the race and some undecideds.

Berwick needs to paint the picture that if he were governor he would do everything possible to keep casinos out of Massachusetts. Berwick should give the sob story of how Coakley doesn’t want to give voters a voice on this very important issue.

Listen in to Herald Radio before the 11 a.m. debate, where you will hear from the candidates. Berwick, I bet, won’t let this opportunity slip away.

Jaclyn Cashman co-hosts “Morning Meeting” from 9 a.m. to noon on Herald Radio. Follow her on twitter at @JaclynCashman.