Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Six
It wouldn't be the least bit farfetched for an O'Farrell to pursue a political career. Pat's grandfather, the Colonel, served with distinction in the U.S. House of Representatives following the Civil War, after all.
Pat would probably be nearly impossible to beat in a race for any political office in Massachusetts. He celebrated his fiftieth birthday late in the 1937 season, about two weeks after his son Mike made his major league debut with the Red Sox. Therefore, he's still young enough to establish himself in politics and, possibly, enjoy a long and fulfilling career in that field.
Pat has never shown any interest in a career outside baseball, but who knows what the future might bring?
Even I haven't figured that out yet, not completely...
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Following in the Colonel's footsteps would be very cool.
I think it would have to be the House. The Senate is rather difficult historically:
David I. Walsh (1919-47)
Irish-Catholic former Governor. More likely one to bring Patrick into the Democratic party rather than have Patrick run against him.
Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (1937-44, 1947-53)
Left the Senate to serve during WWII. He was a Repub, but didn't lose until a certain someone came along in 1953. Very tough to beat. Came back in taking Walsh's slot when Walsh retired.
Leverett Saltonstall (1945–1967)
Another long termer, taking Walsh's first slot.
John F. Kennedy (1953-60)
Knocked out Lodge.
You really can't have him take Lodge's spot given his historical significance and needing to be there for JFK to defeat. You can't have him take Walsh's spot - there's no way he'd run against him.
Running for the House would be easy enough. From Wiki, here are the MA Representatives:
List of United States Representatives from Massachusetts
I would look for a sort of less significant one going out in 1939 (1938 election) or 1941 (1940 election), and make sure you're not blocking someone like Tip O'Neil.
He's probably getting close to the age where he can do it with a fair number of his children grown up. The other nice things is that he could serve long enough to vote for this:
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Before retiring at the end of that Congress (leaving office in January 1965). That's close to 30 years, which would make him decently old. But many Reps and Senators go well into their 70s. And that might be one of the things Pat had been working on all through the 50s and 60s.
In fact, the filibuster in the Senate by Southern members of his own Party might be one of the things that makes Pat do what the Col. did - walk away from politics. He stayed on to work to get it passed, speach publically in favor of it as an American Icon both in sports and politics, and then walked away once it passed.
John