- Do you buy that argument that timing can be a powerful thing here in politics?

- Oh absolutely.

I mean, timing was a powerful thing for Tom Menino back in 1993, when he became acting mayor when Ray Flynn headed off to be Vatican ambassador.

Menino, like Janey today, told everyone in city hall never call me acting Mayor, refer to me as the mayor.

Make it seem like I've already got the job that I want.

Janey has an advantage that Menino didn't have.

And obviously I, you know, Menino as our listeners know, went on to win election and then serve for two decades.

The advantage Janey has is that she is making history in a way that Menino didn't.

Yes, Menino was the first Italian American Mayor of Boston.

But, but in this city for Janie to be able to say I'm the first Black woman leading Boston, it's incredibly powerful.

And when I talked to the other candidates, my take was they still don't know how to respond.

They still don't know how to push back at her as she takes this victory lap for making history that she has been taking for a few weeks now.