While Dionne offers little new insight for those of us who follow MA politics daily, it is refreshing to step back and appreciate how much interesting political drama is generated here in our relatively-small state.
What I find most exciting is the long-term prospects for Deval Patrick should he win the Governorship. Dionne notes:
Patrick is commonly compared to another talented African American, Sen. Barack Obama, but many Massachusetts Democrats think the best analogy is between Patrick and Clinton, who campaigned for his former appointee this week and plans to visit again.
I believe that Patrick has the ability to achieve much beyond Massachusetts if he wins next month and gets results as Governor. In my opinion he is one of a handful of relatively new, up-and-coming Democrats who stand to transform both the Democratic party and American politics (others include Obama, John Tester, Kathleen Sebelius, Jim Webb, Eric Massa, Dan Seals, Jay Fawcett, and Janet Napolitano).
All the more reason for us to knuckle-down and make sure he wins.
Wouldn’t it be nice if, for once, the governor were interested in being governor, rather than moving on to something else?
EJ Dionne’s column stated that Patrick can be an important figure in the Democratic party nationally if he is elected and GETS RESULTS as Governor. You don’t “get results” by following the lead of our recent Republican Governors of using the Governorship as a stepping stone to something else and deserting the state at the first opportunity.
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It is perfectly possible to be an effective and engaged Governor and at the same time be a spokesperson and leader for the Democratic party nationally. The Democratic party needs more such leaders.