Octopus Overlords

Will he or won't he? Why would he? Who is he, again?

Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts has told Joseph R. Biden Jr. and other Democratic officials that he is considering making a last-minute entry into the 2020 presidential race, according to three Democrats familiar with the conversations, the latest evidence of how unsettled the party’s primary is less than three months before the Iowa caucuses.

Mr. Patrick, a respected two-term governor and one of the highest-profile black leaders in the party, has told some of the Democratic officials that he doesn’t think any of the candidates have established political momentum and that he thinks there is an opening for somebody who can unite both liberal and moderate voters, according to Democrats who have spoken to him.

I could (tentatively) get behind Deval. He was a good gov.

His viability is devalued.

Cory Booker right now:



I mean, Patrick's fine as far as it goes, but it's really unclear what he offers that any of Klobuchar / Booker / Harris or any of the moderate governors (Bullock / Bennet / etc.) don't already offer. Way too late to start making his case now. If he wants a moderate, he should pick one of the moderates in the race and throw his support visibly behind them.

Having worked for Bain will be awkward, too, after Democrats held that against Mitt. If he'd jumped in a couple of months ago, Patrick might have become a player, but he decided too late that the field needs him.

...and it's official.

He might have become a top-tier contender if he'd gotten in earlier. As it is, I'll be surprised if he ever gets beyond Dev-who?

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:02 am ...and it's official.

He might have become a top-tier contender if he'd gotten in earlier. As it is, I'll be surprised if he ever gets beyond Dev-who?

Which really makes for a giant waste if the goal is actually name recognition for a future candidacy. Of course, he could be playing the game in hopes of snagging a cabinet position that could give some visibility over the next 8 years.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Nov 15, 2019 11:51 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:02 am ...and it's official.

He might have become a top-tier contender if he'd gotten in earlier. As it is, I'll be surprised if he ever gets beyond Dev-who?

Which really makes for a giant waste if the goal is actually name recognition for a future candidacy. Of course, he could be playing the game in hopes of snagging a cabinet position that could give some visibility over the next 8 years.

There is room in this field for a dark horse. Biden is weak and going nowhere. People outside the base are scared of Sanders and apprehensive about Warren, who is openly female. Buttigieg is too young, inexperienced, and gay. Nobody in the top tier is a breakout favorite, and nobody in the second tier is getting traction.

This late in the process, though, that dark horse needs star power, because there's no time for fundraising and organization-building. All of the people who do that are already working for somebody else. Deval is a good man, but he's not that star.

If I'm wrong and he surges, I could be persuaded. As governor I'd give him six tentacles up. As a candidate, he's an inspirational speaker and a uniter. His role at Bain Capital was socially-conscious investing; he's an unapologetic capitalist without blowing his social cred. He could take the Biden opening, and he could go all the way.

But don't count on it.

Isn't one of Bain Capital's superpowers jacking up unemployment rates wherever they operate? IIRC, this is why Romney's association with them was toxic to him.

Yes, and the story I read said that they are investigating whether any of Patrick's accounts suffered layoffs.