The Patrick approach to politics
GOVERNOR Deval Patrick hired Barack Obama’s campaign manager to help run his 2010 reelection bid.
But Patrick is no Obama, as their mutual strategist, David Plouffe, must understand.
Forget the shared rhetoric, the quest for hope and change, and the similarities in their life stories. Patrick’s approach to politics and the media is the opposite of Obama’s. Politically speaking, the contrast is killing the Massachusetts governor.
The past few weeks have been relatively good ones for Patrick. He stared down Massachusetts lawmakers, who eventually came through on three critical “reform’’ packages the governor demanded - pension, ethics, and transportation.
Now the question is whether Patrick reaps any political benefit, or squanders it.
Despite grim-sounding poll numbers, Patrick still holds the advantage. He’s a Democrat in Massachusetts, and his potential challengers face an assortment of political hurdles.
State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, a fellow Democrat, is positioning himself as a fiscal conservative. But it’s hard to see how Cahill wins a Democratic primary, or, first, gets on the ballot at a state convention controlled by Patrick supporters. That forces a run as an independent.
Republican Christy Mihos ran as an independent in 2006. His campaign then was undisciplined, although Mihos might be more effective with Dick Morris, a nationally known consultant, behind him. Republican Charles Baker, the head of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, has stature in political and business circles, but is unknown beyond that.
If voters are really angry with Patrick and stay that way, anything can happen. The increase in the state sales tax could stoke an anti-Patrick movement. But, today, Massachusetts seems more disappointed than mad.
The disappointment goes back to those first weeks after Patrick’s feel-good victory as the state’s first African-American governor and the first Democrat in 16 years to win back the corner office.
Promising a different kind of politics as a candidate and delivering on it as a public official is a delicate task. The now-worn narrative about Patrick’s early missteps includes his choice of state vehicle - a Cadillac - and the expensive new drapes he ordered for his office. He ran as an outsider, then quickly started losing the inside ballgame to legislative leaders. He alienated his liberal base by pushing for casinos. He alienated the general public by backing a state senator for a $175,000-a-year job without explaining why and then leaving her to twist in the wild political winds that followed.
Communication is Obama’s great strength and Patrick’s great weakness. The Massachusetts governor is effective one-on-one. But, unlike Obama, he has trouble driving a cohesive political message and doesn’t seem to enjoy the mission.
Obama hired seasoned insiders from the start - and took the criticism that went with it - to launch a smooth transition from presidential candidate to president. His experience as a community organizer and state senator prepared him for Washington’s give and take, which he seems to relish. He began his presidency with a big agenda that runs the risk of being viewed as too much, too soon. Agree with it or not, Americans know exactly where Obama is headed. That’s because he knows how to use the media to tell them. The press helps Obama achieve his goals, and not by accident. He courts the media brilliantly.
From the day he won election, Patrick did the opposite. In one of his first public addresses following the election, Patrick told a gathering of New England newspaper editors and publishers that they missed the story of his triumph because they didn’t understand his campaign. He periodically complains about media cynics; such critiques don’t win any media champions.
Now, he must try to craft a story that wins reelection. What is it? Given a national recession, he can’t deliver on campaign promises to reduce property taxes or add more police officers. He’s increasing taxes and cutting services, generally. “Reform’’ means little unless Patrick can explain what changed in a way that means something to voters.
That sounds like a job for his friend, the president.
Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com. 