Good post from Cape Cod Works reporting on Deval Patrick’s speech, or group Q&A session, or conversation, whatever it turned out to be, in Orleans. (Thanks to Left in Lowell for the tip.)
Patrick’s approach, like Dean’s (and Clinton’s, for that matter), is a highly democratic (small "d") form of politics: It’s not about the candidate, it’s about us. What CCW is describing sounds like a town meeting, not so much a stump speech. And in my experience, Patrick is able to listen to people, not tell them everything they want to hear, and yet communicate that he has heard them and appreciates their concerns. After all, there’s no reason to trust someone who just tells you what you want tohear, and there’s no reason to vote for someone who doesn’t hear whatyou want.
This is an approach that is really foreign to our party, state and national: "Democratic" by name, it too often subscribes to a top-down approach to politics and governing. This priveleges the need of those in power to stay there (through payoffs to wealthy and powerful interests in the form of legislation) over those who need government to provide essential services (i.e. all of us). Patrick’s openness with voters is really quite refreshing, and he seems to be getting even more comfortable with people as time passes.
Never mind the Dem establishment and (ugh) the cynicism of local political pundits: They won’t get it, they’ve never seen it before, they don’t believe in it, and — so far — it hasn’t won elections or give out patronage bucks and jobs. Well, we’ve tried everything else at this point, haven’t we? And no Dem governor since Dukakis. So we’re cynical and powerless! Well, count me out of that. Life’s too short.