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You are here: Home / Past Elections / 2020 Elections / Election 2020 Open Thread: Looks Like Deval Patrick Is the Mark At This Table

Election 2020 Open Thread: Looks Like Deval Patrick Is the Mark At This Table

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Deval Patrick was my governor for eight years, and he was a perfectly fine governor, as far as that goes. He didn’t have any big initiatives that got his name into the national news, but he also didn’t have any ‘scandals’ big enough to draw national attention. Given the choices I’ve had since I moved to Massachusetts at the end of 1988, I’d certainly pick him over current corner-office occupant Charlie Baker, or placeholders Paul Celluci/Jane Swift. I’d crawl over broken glass to pick him over Mitt Romney, of course. But if he were running against Bill Weld?… it would actually cost me a twinge, because even though he was a Republican I actually remember Weld fondly. And the stakes would be so much lower, since the MA governorship is a legislatively weak position.

But why now, in the name of Murphy the Trickster God, should Deval Patrick decide he wants to run for the legislatively strong position of president, in the face of an internationally acute crisis and a dozen other better-positioned candidates? Best clue I’ve been able to find is in this Washington Post beat-sweetner:

Newly minted presidential candidate Deval Patrick wants to appeal to black voters, but by a matter of days he missed the deadline to make the ballots in Alabama and Arkansas, two states with large black populations. He wants to win moderates and build a national coalition, but because he didn’t alert officials in Michigan of his candidacy earlier this week, he now faces the extraordinary task of gathering 11,000 signatures in the next month.

His campaign forgot to register the devalpatrick2020.org domain, so it’s instead forwarding to a harsh piece by Howie Carr, a Boston Herald columnist and longtime Patrick antagonist.

The former Massachusetts governor is proposing an audacious move — replicating in a few weeks what other presidential candidates have been trying to create for years — but as he attempts to leapfrog the field, the early days of his candidacy are an illustration of the height of the hurdles he faces.

He has no campaign cash, little campaign staff, low probability of qualifying for debates — and just 81 days to go, as of Thursday, before voting begins…

Patrick’s Thursday announcement opened with a video that had been quickly put together, focusing heavily on his biography to introduce him to an unfamiliar national audience. He also sat for an interview with CBS News, which had hired the former Massachusetts governor as a commentator in September but severed ties as his campaign began.

He said he thought he could offer something different than the rest of the field, appearing to knock Joe Biden as out of touch and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as too dug into her ideas…

Patrick had considered a race last year but decided against it. The current effort came together swiftly — just last Thursday he was speaking before the Republican-leaning U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

He was interviewed onstage by Neil Bradley, the chief policy officer for the chamber who is also a registered lobbyist, and made no mention of his political plans. The event was private, and there is no public record of the remarks.

On the same day, another potential presidential entrant, former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, was laying the groundwork for his campaign, ensuring he was on the ballot in Arkansas, Alabama and Michigan.

Patrick held meetings over the weekend, and some of his aides made a round of calls attempting to recruit potential staffers — but in some cases were rebuffed…

How I read this, devout Cynic that I am, is that a bunch of Republican donors persuaded Patrick — who’s had dreams of the presidency since at least 2004 — that he should jump into the race now, logic and prospects of winning be damned. They don’t trust Bloomberg to toe the GOP line, and they’re terrified that either Biden or Warren will beat Trump (or whatever placeholder gets slotted in, should Trump implode before November 2020). Patrick isn’t much of a candidate, by their standards, but he’s Bain-affiliated, African-American, and can arguably kneecap Warren in New Hampshire. Taking their anti-Democratic agenda through the next quarter or two is as far ahead as a bunch of MBAs are willing to plan, in any case.


Reader Interactions

43Comments

  1. 1.

    Betty Cracker

    Caught a clip of the Obama alums podcast (Pod Save the World) the other day, and while they all know Patrick well and like him, they are also mystified by his late entry into the race and can’t figure out what he’s hoping to accomplish. According to them — emphatically, IIRC — Patrick is NOT one of those people who feel like they haven’t fulfilled their personal destiny if they don’t run for president.

     

    Seems to me like Warren has the most to lose since a popular ex-gov from Mass could siphon off votes in New Hampshire, but I really don’t know. It’s hard to imagine this ending in anything other than wasted money and mild embarrassment.

  2. 2.

    dr. bloor

    Incoming “he’s so unpopular among so many different constituencies in the Democratic Party that he must be the right guy” arguments in 3…2…1…

  3. 3.

    Baud

    I suppose he’d be an interesting candidate if he had, you know, not decided to do this last minute on a whim.

  4. 4.

    the Conster

    As a fellow Masshole with Anne Laurie, I too am utterly mystified with his thinking on this.   Plus, his voice, and yes, I’m petty af.

  5. 5.

    Cacti

    Well, he’s certainly not less qualified than the rest of the field.

     

    I just don’t see what he brings to the table that isn’t already covered.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    Looks like Pompeo is getting Sessionsed. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving toady:

     

    Trump’s impeachment ire turns on Pompeo amid diplomats’ starring roles

     

    WASHINGTON — The impeachment inquiry has created the first rift between President Donald Trump and the Cabinet member who has been his closest ally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, according to four current and former senior administration officials.

     

    Trump has fumed for weeks that Pompeo is responsible for hiring State Department officials whose congressional testimony threatens to bring down his presidency, the officials said. The president confronted Pompeo about the officials — and what he believed was a lackluster effort by the secretary of state to block their testimony — during lunch at the White House on Oct. 29, those familiar with the matter said.

     

    Hahahaha!

  10. 10.

    Cheryl Rofer

    One of the reasons given for the influx of latecomer money men is that nobody has broken out of the pack.

    Maybe the reason for that is that there are still too many in the pack.

  12. 12.

    geg6

    @Betty Cracker:

     

    Freaking hilarious.  The way he’s been swanning around Kansas acting like the Crown Prince lately will come back to bite him if the Vulgar Talking Yam takes a baseball bat to him the way he did to Sessions.

     

    Though maybe not.  Perhaps Kansas has, finally, decided to stop making everyone ask what’s the matter with Kansas after they dipped a toe into sanity in 2018.  Perhaps he can go all Never Trumper after he’s savaged on twitter for days on end just before he’s sacked.  He could go back to Kansas as Resistance hero!  LOL!

  13. 13.

    prostratedragon

    Deval Patrick’s father is saxophonist Pat Patrick, whose music is worth a youtube dive when you want to hear some jazz. For many years, he was a member of Sun Ra’s Arkhestra. His son might want to ponder the various glosses of the title of this one:

    “Call for All Demons”

  15. 15.

    Barbara

    @Cheryl Rofer:  Who knows what is going on, but they would seem to have a better likelihood of return by doing what they can to promote other candidates already in the race, Klobuchar, Booker, or even Harris, all of whom have at least as much appeal as Patrick, and really more. What is the chance that Patrick would generate more interest than Booker? I wonder if Booker et al. have told them that they are the kiss of death at this point and they just couldn’t believe it.

  16. 16.

    Duane

    @Elizabelle: Absolutely Warren has Wall Street’s number. She’s smarter than they are and they know it. The barron robbers had the trembles when she looked to be the boss at the CFPB.

  21. 21.

    rikyrah

    @Betty Cracker:

     

     

    Trump has fumed for weeks that Pompeo is responsible for hiring State Department officials

     

    They had all worked for the State Department for at least 25 years. They are civil service professionals, you clown.

  23. 23.

    Villago Delenda Est

    The guy works for Bain Capital.  That should be an automatic no-go.  They are thieves.

  24. 24.

    Amir Khalid

    Deval Patrick may well be impressive in person, but I don’t know who would see him as a compelling candidate. He’s come into the race very late, he probably hasn’t built the following or the organisation he needs to be viable, and these have to count against him in an assessment of management and political skills.

  25. 25.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Elizabelle: They are shitting their pants.  She knows where bodies are buried, can explain the locations to the general public like no one else, and will follow through on fixing capitalism whether the money men like it or not.

  26. 26.

    Barbara

    @Immanentize: I commented on this last night, and there is no question that Patrick should have kept out of it, but it sounds like the process regarding his brother in law had already ended when he fired the two people who wanted him to register.  Basically, the two officials tried to reverse the original decision that he didn’t have to register by circumventing the established process, and they were unsuccessful.  I carry no water for Patrick, and I think he should not have intervened at any point, including afterwards, but I don’t think he “pulled strings” to keep his brother in law off the register.  That’s not what happened.

  27. 27.

    Gelfling 545

    I’ve been puzzled about whom he sees as his constituency. Or what he hopes to gain from this because I don’t see it being successful.

  28. 28.

    dr. bloor

    @rikyrah: Pfft.  Patrick had a lot of options available to him after he left the governorship, many of which would have positioned him very well for a future in national politics in the Democratic party.  Deciding to join an Olympic-class rent-seeking outfit is not one of them.

  30. 30.

    Gin & Tonic

    Open thread? Question for the crowd – if you shipped a package on Friday using FedEx 2-day service, when would you expect it to be actually delivered?

  32. 32.

    SW

    So this guy, is at Bane (vulture) Capital for the past how many years.  The billionaires are restless.  They can see the pitchforks.  Warren and Saunders are hurting their feelings.  Joe just might not be able to make it and the other guy is Gay!  Bloomberg is going to flop.  Come on kid.  Put on your Obama face.  Get out there and take one for Biff and the boys.

  34. 34.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @SW: Such an argument might have made sense for those money guys 6 months ago. At this point it’s doubtful he’s even going to catch Harris and Booker in polling or interest. Not sure what he offers that Booker doesn’t (or Harris or Klobuchar), other than that he hasn’t yet failed to gain traction. But given the lateness of the hour and his lack of a national profile and boots on the ground organization, failure to gain traction is pretty much inevitable.

  35. 35.

    Gin & Tonic

    @jeffreyw: Bzzzt, sorry, thanks for playing. See the hostess on your way out for your parting gift.

     

    The correct answer is apparently Tuesday.

  36. 36.

    FlyingToaster

    As I’d said over the weekend…

     

    I’m acquainted with the Governor.  He did not talk to anyone outside of Bain.  Because if he had, it would have included the folks by which I’m acquainted with him.

    How I read this, devout Cynic that I am, is that a bunch of Republican donors persuaded Patrick — who’s had dreams of the presidency since at least 2004 — that he should jump into the race now, logic and prospects of winning be damned.

    This is a Bain or BCG*-style campaign.  No prep, no expertise, just a lot of dark money and bumbling around until all of the money has been sucked out.

     

    *Boston Consulting Group.  Bibi Netanyahu and Mitt Romney are ex-Bain.  I will redact the names of all of the BCG asshats whose companies I’ve subcontracted to over the past 31 years, but they are all men, and all arrogant fucking assholes.  Up heah in Bwahstin, if you see Bain or BCG on the horizon, it’s time to fucking bail.

  41. 41.

    Citizen Alan

    @Villago Delenda Est:

     

    The one noticeable impact of Deval Patrick entering the race (and I am profoundly embarrassed to admit this) is that it somehow caused me to forget Cory Booker’s existence. I’ve spent most of this morning trying to remember “who is the other bald-headed AA Dem from the Northeast who’s been running for President this whole time?”

  42. 42.

    kent

    We didn’t bite when offered John Hinkenlooper or John Delaney or Steve Bullock or Michael Bennet or Amy Klobuchar or  Joe Sestak or Tom Steyer or Seth Moulton or Tim Ryan.

     

    But hey…..one more milquetoast centrist candidate just MIGHT do the trick!!!!   Especially a current executive at Bain Capital and former executive with subprime lender Ameriquest and Coca-Cola.     That’s JUST what the Democratic primary voters are hungry for.

  43. 43.

    lora canary

    I hardly ever comment here but felt I had to in this case. My husband and I have had direct contact with then governer Patrick and he is really awful. The issue was a huge development being built on a site surrounded by public land. Up until Patrick we were doing very well fighting off the developers but when he got in he completely sold us out, ignoring even to meet with concerned environmental groups. He obviously received a lot of money from the developers and today that development is being built. It seems to us he will sell anything out for big business interests.

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