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Has anyone noticed, Deval is black

by: Karl Roving

Sun Mar 19, 2006 at 22:31:53 PM EST


Deval Patrick has gone from "also running is..." to "strong candidate closing the gap". So now some of my liberal friends have noticed something unusual.  He's black.  That's right, African-American, non-white, not-Irish, whatever you want to call it.

And the folks who seem most troubled by it are some of the most progressive folks I know.  They start out saying: "Sure, he did well in the caucuses -- but can he win?"  I ask, what do you mean, of course he can win -- any Democrat who gets the nomination and is not easily labelled "Beacon Hill insider" can win! And he's doesn't have thousands of folks with grudges from his days as AG. So they whisper -- "Yeah, but he's black, and this state isn't ready for a Black man."  Or -- forget Ed Brooke, voters thought he was a white guy with a tan.

Is that what you see out there?  Are the folks in Needham ready to vote for a businessman who has good fiscal ideas yet reasonable on social issues -- except they can't deal with his pigment?  Is Wellesely appalled?

Love to hear from you all.
Karl Roving :: Has anyone noticed, Deval is black
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Has anyone noticed, Deval is black | 21 comments
He can win (0.00 / 0)
Massachusetts was the first state to elect an African-American to the Senate since Reconstruction. More here. Of course, Brooke was a Republican (a sad element of the history of the Massachusetts state Democratic Party), but the critical point to your question is that the office was state-wide. The preliminary issue, however, is: can he get the nomination.

BMG: Reality-based commentary.
a generic answer (0.00 / 0)
to a generic question such as, is  Mass ready for a black man, could be no. A specific answer to a specific question such as, is Massachusetss ready for Deval Patrick seem as if it is being answered with a resounding yes. I am in complete agreement of the preliminary issue, to me that begs the question, are democrats ready for Deval?
[ Parent ]
They are ready for gay marriage here... (0.00 / 0)
the numbers in the last poll I saw looked very promising.

If our neighbors are ready for that, I think I will trust them on the race issue too....

Maybe that's too optimistic. I mean, we keep getting Republicans in the governor's office.  So clearly I am not in the mainstrean thought here. 

RE:Has anyone noticed, Deval is black (3.00 / 1)
You've got to be kidding me.  Most people I've spoken with are only supporting deval because he's black.  They want to prove how uber liberal they are by voting for a black man.  I mean if he was white he'd be just another rich opportunistic lawyer, but because he's black everyone treats him like he's a visionary.  Give me a break.  I haven't made up my mind yet who I'm supporting yet and it may end up being Deval, but so far he's gotten a free ride off because of his race.
Amen on that one. . Nobody else would get away with a (3.00 / 1)
$27,000 per month mortgage payment and a 24 room house in the Berkshires. The liberals would be going crazy right now.
[ Parent ]
Pretty nasty comments, rml and bman (0.00 / 0)
You might considering checking the beam in your own eye before ... well, you know the rest.
[ Parent ]
The Kennedys have a nice house... (0.00 / 0)
in fact, several of them, in Hyannis -- it's called "the Kennedy compound." No liberals I know are upset about this. John Kerry and Teresa Heinz have a few pretty nice houses too. The last I checked (1) they're not black; and (2) liberals are cool with their housing arrangements.

As for the mortgages, if Patrick's paying them on time they are irrelevant. There's no reason to believe he's not paying them on time.

My bet is that they're low interest loans and that he's actually got the money he borrowed invested at a higher rate. But I don't know, I don't care, and neither you or your boy Frank Phillips has given us any reason to care. You're just shilling for another candidate who can't get any traction with his so-called message and strategy and thus needs to start with the inuendo and mudslinging. Now you've added a racial element to it, which is contemptible.

[ Parent ]
Kennedy, Kerry are all old established money. You an only deduct the first $1,000,000 on the second home mortgage , so trust me it isn't an investment plan. (0.00 / 0)
OK , forget about the 24 room house and the $27,000 per month mortgage for a second. Why can't we see Patrick's tax returns.
Romney was the first governor not to release his tax returns. All the other millionaire candidates are now playing the same game. Even other republican governors like Weld, Celucci and Swift released tax returns. Patrick has  publicly demonstrated his unusual spending habits and has compiled huge debt in the process from lenders where he either sits on the board or has a business relationship. I think the public deserves to see what is going on here since he has no previous public record in office. But, for some reason, it is it now ok for the liberals to give everyone including their big spender candidate a pass on full financial disclosure. David, you want to talk about hypocrisy ? How about it.
[ Parent ]
Wrong and wrong again, RML. (0.00 / 0)
It's not just about deductibility. If you borrow $5 million at 5% and invest the money you borrowed at 6%, you make money. That's even before the tax advantage of writing off mortgage interest.

Maybe the financial disclosure rules should be more stringent. Buy they are what they are, and all the current candidates seem to be complying with them. Yawn.

And what's this "old established money" crap? It's OK to be really rich if you inherit or marry well, but not if you make it yourself? Anyway, you're the one who said liberals wouldn't support a rich white guy, and you're obviously wrong about that too.


[ Parent ]
Well I guess we will never know without full disclosure . Its really up (0.00 / 0)
to the progressives to push for it right now. Unfortunately, in the general election I believe this will be a big issue for him if he wins the primary.
[ Parent ]
Obviously you haven't spoken to many Deval supporters... (0.00 / 0)
Most of us have supported Deval because he is the only Democratic candidate with solid progressive credentials and the only one who seems capable of inspiring people with a -- yes, I'll say it -- visionary message. Sure, Reilly's done some good things as AG, but Patrick is pretty solidly the more progressive candidate in the race (look at Patrick vs. Reilly on income taxes, Cape Wind, gay marriage, and the death penalty).
[ Parent ]
Again you've got to be kidding (0.00 / 0)
If Deval was white most people wouldn't give him the time of day.  They'd say this guy is a rich  executive from a fortune 25 company who now wants to run.  What has he ever done for the Commonwealth or the party?  Aside from the brief clinton appointment Deval's only progressive credentials are his campaign promises and who really knows what those are worth.  I just think its funny that progessives are so getty about this corporate crony who again if he was white most people would think he was a republican.
[ Parent ]
JOKE (or at least a feeble attempt) (0.00 / 0)
If Deval Patrick were white, he'd be Chris Gabrieli with a personality and a game plan. So, yeah, I guess you're right: No one would give him the time of day.
[ Parent ]
dude (0.00 / 0)
" They'd say this guy is a rich  executive from a fortune 25 company who now wants to run." how about one that doesnt want to run because he got lost so bad at a previous attempt that gets recruited from another state to run for governor and WINS and STILL does nothing for this state. He's white, he's rich, he's willard mitt
[ Parent ]
Hard as it may be for you to believe (0.00 / 0)
I'm actually not kidding and do support Deval because of his more progressive principles (and because I think he is a better speaker and candidate). Campaign promises do matter, and you also forgot to mention Deval's work as an NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer, which seems like a pretty progressive credential to me. Would most people think a white former Clinton civil rights appointee and NAACP lawyer was a Republican? Call me crazy but I don't think so.
[ Parent ]
Re: Has anyone noticed, Deval is black (0.00 / 0)
Is it rude to just jump into a conversation? I'm a novice at this.

I wasn't sure who I was supporting, either, until I heard Deval speak.  (I find his website uninspiring, and I'm tired of businessmen suddenly deciding that because they could pull of the Olympics or run an oil company into the ground that they're ready to run the country.)  Then I heard him speak... It's not such much that his ideas are so visionary or that his plan is so well formed, but that he is bringing back the "ask not what your country can do for you" tone to civic life.  He brings the talk of civic life back into civic life! He talks about government like what it should be--a group of people working together for the common good.  I love the bully pulpit, and if the minister has been trained in the school of oratory that is the black church, well, that's a bonus.

[ Parent ]
Im at a loss for words (0.00 / 0)
on this one. I am wondering what circles you are in where "most" people you speak with would suport a candidate based on his/her race or skin color. One could reasonably think they were racist or stupid or as I suspect both.

Secondly when you use words like "because he's blac EVERYONE treats him like a visionary" you are clearly out of touch with reality, which is apparent with your comments. I am willing to bet rightmiddeleft and Tom Reilly don't feel that way.

I am  Reillt delegate and I find it more and more difficult to remain loyal when I read garbage like this and from rightmiddleleft. It is a long time until June...........

[ Parent ]
No , I don't feel that way but all I ever wanted was financial disclosure (0.00 / 0)
from a candidate that has a potential financial house of cards  waiting to collapse. That is a simple request but makes everyone defensive. What is he so protected?. Other candidates including Reilly would be crucified in the papers if they had such a bizarro setup.
[ Parent ]
Reilly or Patrick (0.00 / 0)
Not true. The logic couldn't be simpler. For Democrats the choice is between Reilly or Patrick, and Patrick has been staking out the more progressive positions and offering the more progressive rhetoric. That's why progressives favor him. Duh. It's not rocket science, and it's not race either.

Somerville for Instant Runoff Voting
[ Parent ]
Funny Story (0.00 / 0)
I took my girlfriend to the Patrick event at Fanieul Hall a couple of weekends ago. We unfortunately didn't make it inside but decided to wait around to see Deval arrive. When he approached followed by a big group of people she asked me if he was the tall guy in the suit (there were a few politican-looking types in the group). I responded that he was the black man in front and she was completely shocked. She'd heard of him before but had no idea that he was black.

FWIW, I'm not supporting him because he's black. I'm supporting him because after hearing him speak I liked what I heard.

Has anyone noticed, Deval is black | 21 comments





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