Politico: "Obama's Inner Circle is Urging Deval Patrick to Run"

[Music Man]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/01/obamas-inner-circle-is-urging-deval-patrick-to-run-215443?cmpid=sf

"BOSTON — Barack Obama is nudging him to run. His inner circle is actively encouraging it. Obama world’s clear and away 2020 favorite is sitting right here, on the 38th floor of the John Hancock Building, in a nicely decorated office at Bain Capital.

And Deval Patrick has many thoughts on what he says is Donald Trump’s governing by fear and a dishonest pitch for economic nostalgia, while encouraging a rise in casual racism and ditching any real commitment to civil rights.

Obama strategist David Axelrod has had several conversations with Patrick about running, and eagerly rattles off the early primary map logic: small-town campaign experience from his 2006 gubernatorial run that will jibe perfectly with Iowa, neighbor-state advantage in New Hampshire and the immediate bloc of votes he’d have as an African-American heading into South Carolina.

Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s close adviser and friend, says that a President Patrick is what “my heart desires."
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Thoughts? He's a dynamic speaker, intellectual, successful two terms as governor, has experience as an attorney in the Clinton administration, left-of-center policies on energy, gun control, health care, and he has the support of people who know what they're talking about. Cons include his Bain Capital connection and a couple controversies as governor, including a situation where he fired the chair of the Sex Offender Registry Board when they tried to place his brother-in-law on the registry for his rape conviction. I can already envision the nasty campaign ads.

[DefenseLawyer]

1. Why would a Democrat with presidential aspirations take a job at Bain Capital?

Just the optics of it. The whole Mitt Romney connection. Why dig yourself that hole?

[Music Man]

3. I really agree with that.

It seems to me that that's where a Deval Patrick campaign would start: On the defensive, having to equivocate about his work.

He has a certain charisma that I like, and I think he'd surround himself with the right people.

In my opinion, Joe Biden is the most compelling person for the job. Experienced, big heart, charismatic, strong convictions, and he's quite beloved. Age will be a factor (although this is changing as septuagenarians like Jerry Brown have been elected). And Trump is in his 70s too, so discussions of Biden's age would only be hypocritical.

[angrychair]

2. With all do respect to PBO

No

[JenniferJuniper]

5. Agree. NO.

[CentralMass]

4. I like Deval Patrick. He is a very intelligent hands on politician.

I saw him and Joe Kennedy speak at at event in MA and got to.meet them both afterwards.
He, IMO, is a principled man who sticks by his convictions. I think that he would be a formiddable candidate and i think thst he would be a good President. I also think that he probably would say hell no.

[BannonsLiver]

7. The more the merrier

That's my early view on the 2020 primary. I really don't give a hoot about what he's been doing in the private sector.

[Jake Stern]

6. As in THAT Bain Capital?

The Gee Oh Pee will have a field day painting us as flaming hypocrites for bashing Romney's connections to Bain Capital while letting Deval Patrick's slide.