Call Me O'Leary

When the returns from Tuesday's Boston City Council and School Committee elections are closely examined, one truth will become self-evident--the true Boston "pol" is a very rare creature. Instead, there are politicians who carry black wards, and those who win in Southie, and in Eastie and in Charlestown.

If a strong neighborhood base is an essential start, though, it is not enough. A recognizable name will help, and if you don't have that, an indistinguishable name is a must.

Those in the first category include Louise Day Hicks, Dapper O'Neill and Pixie Palladino. All three were prominent in the anti-busing fight, and all three parlayed their efforts (and their Boston Globe headlines) into city dynasties. And while those dynasties faded four years ago when there were real issues in the race, this year, when there is little else to vote on, the names alone will work their magic.

Those in the latter category of soundalike names are uniformly Irish--there's the usual roster of McDonoughs and an O'Leary as well, all of whom count on their last names to draw a certain percentage of their votes.

Actually, names provide as much of a rationale for choosing councilors as anything else in this election year. No one has mentioned many issues, and although all have talked about the racial violence plaguing the city, few have offered any solutions. When Boston voters pull the council and school board levers tomorrow, it will be business as usual in this traditional city.