Deval Patrick Sees 'Opportunity' for Big Change

[left-of-center2012]

Deval Patrick, the former Massachusetts governor who officially joined the presidential race on Thursday, said on CNN that he sees “an opportunity to take big systematic change to bring us back together.”

“It is about an ambitious agenda that engages people in it as their agenda,” Patrick said. “that’s the way I’ve campaigned in the past, that’s the way I am now.” Patrick said he waited to get into the race because when he was debating whether or not to run last year, his wife was diagnosed with uterine cancer. He said he had to focus on her “no matter how tempting” a run seemed. She is now cancer-free.

In a later interview with MSNBC, Patrick said he had called Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, the two top-polling candidates, before announcing his candidacy.

Patrick will join the major Democratic candidates -- including Biden, Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg – at the Nevada Democratic Party’s First in the West dinner on Sunday.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-14/biden-proposes-1-3-trillion-infrastucture-plan-campaign-update?srnd=politics-vp

[TheRealNorth]

1. I would pick nearly every candidate currently in the Dem Primary over Patrick

When the only reason you join is to come to the rescue of the big money donors, then you are part of the problem.

[gibraltar72]

2. Two words

Bain Capital.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. LOL ... said the exact same thing in another thread!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[drray23]

4. He won't break 2 %

Politicians like him must really have a gigantic ego to somehow think that he can parachute into the race at this stage and have any chance. He does not have a lot of name recognition, is not going to be able to excite democrats.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. No, just no. He wasn't called...

...Coupe DeVal for nothing.

[BeyondGeography]

6. He says a lot of things

Link to tweet

[boomer_wv]

7. His plan...

Is to campaign in New Hampshire where he has name recognition, win there, and then go to SC where the black vote will coalesce around him.

I'm not sure if he's been paying attention, but there are two other black candidate already in the race, and neither of them have been able to gain ground in SC.

I listen to Patrick today on CNN. He said he wasn't "some corporate guy" but in the same sentence was talking about having been with several investment banks and sitting on the board of several major companies. That kind of seems like being a corporate guy.

I honestly don't mind if someone worked on wall street, ran Bain Capital, or sat on the board of LexCorp for that matter. But, trying to paint yourself as not being that guy is disingenuous, and I do care about that.

All that said, I don't think this is going to be something we care about in a few weeks. I don't remember the last candidate who conceded Iowa to focus on New Hampshire, and actually did well. Skipping Iowa is a major signal of weakness in a candidate and a campaign, and most voters are going to consider that strongly when they choose a candidate. You don't have to win Iowa, you don't have to even come in 2nd. You do have to compete though.

[BlueMTexpat]

8. I am really wondering why Patrick

jumped in.

If it is true, as some here have asserted, that he is a very close friend of Prez O AND that Prez O encouraged him to run, what does that say about Prez O's support for Biden?

If on the other hand, this is a strategic ploy to siphon off voters from Warren ultimately to Biden's advantage, it is a risky gambit and, IMO, one unlikely to succeed. Judging from what I have seen and heard, those who support Warren would not dream of shifting their support to Patrick.

There may be some "Undecided" voters who will support his candidacy, but IMO, most are "Undecided" not because they dislike any candidate currently in the mix but rather because there are already so many good options and they are still trying to decide among those options.

IMO, Patrick just muddies the waters when we already have WAY too many candidates.