Exit Stage Lynch

Exit Stage Lynch

Attorney General Patrick Lynch announced late last week that he was dropping out of the race to be the next Rhode Island Governor. Lynch said he left the race without hesitation, yet he waited until the very last possible moment (with $700 grand in a campaign account) to exit. 

After a rocky eight years in public office, Lynch was still unable (or unwilling) to hold a press conference, make his "Push for Unity" announcement, and take a few questions from the press. In the Patrick Lynch world, why hold a press conference and risk a few unscripted moments of candor and be forced to answer to the "annoying press," when you can inoculate yourself in a taped video, portraying yourself as a "statesman"? 

Let's look at the timeline: Lynch releases his "video" announcement on Thursday, leaves town on Friday, and Mayor Moreau is tossed out of office in Central Falls on Monday. Coincidence? Lynch said he did not want to be a "footnote in history." I would suggest the full history of Patrick Lynch's tenure in office is still unraveling and new chapters are yet to be written.        

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Questions I would have asked at the Lynch "I am not running for Governor" press conference: You mention a divisive primary with Frank Caprio. When did you realize you had a primary? You made your announcement the first week of June. Were you unaware there would be a primary? Or were you just disappointed you actually had one?  You mention your brother Bill is also running for office as a reason to leave the race. Were you unaware Bill Lynch has been running since February? Were you unaware of his race when you announced your candidacy the first week of June?  Are you troubled that Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau has told federal investigators you knew and approved of his activity regarding the board-ups?

By the way, Mayor Moreau wins the "Joe Mollicone" award for being able to hide from the media in a one-square-mile city. Have you hired a criminal lawyer yet, or are you going to wait until after you appear in front of the grand jury? Now that Frank Caprio has the endorsement of the party, who would you now say is the "real" Democrat? 

Patrick Lynch's reasons for leaving the race would have made sense if he had quit the race five months ago. He had a big announcement the first week of June and thought he could beat Frank Caprio in the primary. So what changed in a month? Two words: CENTRAL FALLS.  If this was a "VH1 Behind the Music" portrait of Patrick Lynch, this juncture would be the 30-minute portion in the program where it all goes wrong. Maybe Lynch would have beaten Frank Caprio in a primary (cue the scene in "Dumb and Dumber" when Jim Carrey is told the odds he could get a date with his dream girl are "a million to one" and he smiles and says "so you're saying I got a chance") but doubtful.  He will likely soon discover when the feds looking into the goings on in Central Falls start expecting some answers from him that hiding in a videotape won't be an option.

John DePetro

John DePetro can be heard weekday mornings 6-10A, on GoLocalProv media partner 630 WPRO & 99.7, and podcasts of show highlights are found at 630wpro.com.