Deval Patrick Would Be a Credible Presidential Candidate

In recent days former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has been musing about entering the 2020 presidential race.


Like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Patrick had previously announced he was not running. In December 2018, Patrick issued a statement on Facebook that he would not run because of the "cruelty" of the process. If things were cruel at the end of 2018 they are a thousand-fold as we approach the end of 2019.


With that said if Patrick were to enter the race I would be favorable towards supporting him. Although I did not vote for him in either his successful 2006 and 2010 gubernatorial races, I would have voted for him had he sought a third term in 2014. I was impressed with Patrick's leadership following the Boston Marathon bombing. With then Boston Mayor Tom Menino having health issues that would claim his life in 2014, Patrick picked up the ball and ran with it. Given these circumstances, I hold Patrick in far higher esteem than most Democrats especially Elizabeth Warren. I remember when Warren needed Patrick's guidance in her first press conference after she was elected to the Senate in 2012.


Unfortunately for the former governor, I don't see Massachusetts voters abandoning the progressive Warren for the relatively moderate Patrick never mind the state's Democratic delegation. This is a shame because I think Patrick would be a credible presidential candidate and would fare better against Trump than Warren. Trump can't call Patrick "Pocahantas".


Perhaps Trump would call Patrick "mini-Obama". As with Cory Booker, I'm sure Patrick would be measured against Obama. But I would make the case that Patrick came to office with a far better resume than Obama (a partnership in a Boston law firm before he was 35, his work in the Civil Rights Division of DOJ plus his tenure as the general counsel with both Texaco and Coca-Cola).
Of course, his association with Texaco, Coca-Cola and now Bain Capital isn't likely to earn him fans among the Sandernistas.


Given current political conditions and the lateness of the hour, the odds of Deval Patrick winning the Democratic nomination are slim at best. But from where I sit, outside of Pete Buttigieg and Bloomberg, Patrick would be among the only Democrats for whom I would consider casting a ballot. If Democrats want to win in a year's time they will need a candidate who is going to capture independent minded voters. If Democrats want to win in a year's time then they need to give Deval Patrick a serious look.