DEVAL MIGHT MAKE MATE
Analysts say Patrick’s run may be positioning for veep, Cabinet
With Deval Patrick’s foundering presidential bid barely a blip in the polls, political operatives say it looks like the former Massachusetts governor’s real target could be a step or two below the Oval Office.
“This is a relevancy run for president,” said Republican strategist Patrick Griffin. “It reminds them that he’s still there, for a Cabinet position, being on the short-list for vice president.”
Patrick dismissed the notion when questioned by a Herald reporter Wednesday.
“Does it look like I’m running for something other than president?” Patrick said. “No. I am running for president. Period.”
But as his late-stage bid struggles to gain traction despite a heavy focus on the ground in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Patrick has been forced to confront speculation about his intentions on the campaign trail.
During an appearance Tuesday at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, audience members’ queries strayed from international affairs to more pointed questions about his White House aspirations — including whether he’d consider being the running mate rather than the nominee.
“Don’t ask me that,” Patrick responded. “I don’t want to be vice president.”
Another asked if Patrick thought he was at a disadvantage with his late entry.
“Probably,” Patrick replied, noting that his plans for a campaign launch were put on hold due to his wife’s bout with uterine cancer.
But Patrick said he still sees a path to the nomination.
“A majority of voters in all of the early states have not made up their minds,” he said.
Democratic strategist Patrick Dorton said the former Massachusetts governor could still have an opening should former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading moderate, stumble.
“Even if that fails, he’s acquitted himself well and is in line for a Cabinet slot in the next Democratic administration,” Dorton said of Patrick.
Todd Belt, director of George Washington University’s political management program, said Patrick, as an experienced black politician, could be an attractive “get” for a Democratic administration.
“That’s important, especially when you know we’ve got a top-tier slate of white candidates,” Belt said.
Backers at Patrick’s Massachusetts campaign kickoff at Prince Hall Grand Lodge Wednesday said the former governor could make a strong Cabinet member — or even launch a U.S. Senate bid — should he fall short of the presidency.
“Joe Biden can add him to the Cabinet. He should definitely put him into a big position in the Cabinet,” said Al Pheus of Mattapan. “And when Joe Biden finishes, Deval Patrick can step up.”
But Patrick could face some challenges in potential confirmation hearings — his tenure as governor was plagued by scandals in the Department of
Children and Families and the state’s drug-testing lab.
He also faces the risk “that by running a poor campaign, he downgrades his political reputation,” said University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala. “He could have stayed on the sidelines and kept his reputation intact.”
Democratic strategist Dan Payne said, “Politics is the art of self-delusion. Those who run for president believe they are going to win the presidency.”
Being the running mate is the “consolation prize,” not the goal, Payne said. “No one runs for vice president.”