The campaigns they chose

DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE is how a friend described Kerry Healey. She ran campaign that was ugly, depressing, and counterproductive. Sure, she was badly served by her advisers, Rob Gray and Tim O'Brien, and by her media consultant, Stuart Stevens. But hear me now and believe me later: Candidates get the campaigns they want.

West Wing. I first met Deval Patrick in January 2005 to discuss possible run for governor. He wondered what kind of campaign he could run. Not should run. I asked him if he knew TV show "West Wing." He did. Matt Santos, principled Hispanic candidate for president played by Jimmy Smits -- that's your model, I said. Do it your way, on your own terms; then win or lose, you'll be true to your principles. He did.

Secrets of Patrick: Fresh vocabulary ("Our civic life is broken"). Appeals to our better nature. Gift for making people like him. Inspiring life story, well told. A teacher, Mrs. Quaintance, who sprang him from Chicago poverty with scholarship to Milton Academy. Manager John Walsh, who believed in Patrick's way of running.

Luck of Patrick. He couldn't have made it without generosity of opponents. Reilly, miles ahead in money and polls, bungles two lieutenant governor picks just days before half-hearted effort at caucuses; Reilly helps Chris Gabrieli get on ballot, nullifying Reilly's financial advantage and assuring split for non-Patrick vote; tunnel collapse blots out TV spots of Gabrieli and Reilly, allowing Patrick to avoid being hurt by late start on TV; Reilly self-immolates two minutes into Kennedy School debate, resurrects Marie St. Fleur debacle; Gabrieli suffocates us with TV spots starring Gabrieli; Christy Mihos bashes Healey at debates, giving Patrick luxury to ride above it all; Healey's calamitous use of crime and rape as wedge issues creates widespread sympathy for Patrick and shatters illusion that she is moderate; Mitt Romney's fall from grace and presidential-sized indifference to Healey's candidacy.

Job 1. Yeah, it's budget. But Patrick needs to find next John Sasso for chief of staff. Forget Harvard. Look for motivational skills, unflinching integrity, firm grasp of policy and reality, good poker player.

Taking the veil. In 1970s and '80s, talented young people went into public service for Governor Mike Dukakis and Mayor Kevin White. They prospered afterward. Consider who worked for Dukakis (D) or White (W):

Representative Barney Frank (W); super-citizen and Blue Cross powerhouse Peter Meade (W); Tom Glynn (D), second in command at Partners HealthCare and US Labor Department after running MBTA; Bob Kiley (W, D) runs London transit system; Artery/Tunnel pioneer Fred Salvucci (W, D), now MIT professor and international engineering consultant; Micho Spring (W), communications virtuoso; Jane Garvey (D), ran federal highway and federal aviation administrations in Clinton administration.

Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation's Michael Widmer (D); Boston's strongest link to Bank of America, Anne Finucane (W); Hotel Commonwealth developer Frank Keefe (D); uber developer John Drew (D); president of Reed College and former dean of University of Pennsylvania Law School Colin Diver (W); dean of business school at Claremont College in California, Ira Jackson (W, D); president of Hobart and William Smith College, Mark Gearan (D); Tom Vallely (W), runs Vietnam Program at Harvard.

John DeVillars (D), founder of environmental consulting company and former New England administrator of US Environmental Protection Agency; Vivien Li (D), runs Boston Harbor Association; Deborah Prothrow-Stith (D), public health authority at Harvard; Tim Gens (W, D), chief counsel at Massachusetts Hospital Association; Steve Rosenfeld (D) godfather of Health Care for All.

Boston Foundation president Paul Grogan (W); New York Timesman Steve Kinzer (D); Bob Cordy (D), justice of Supreme Judicial Court; Don Stern (D), former US Attorney; late Kirk O'Donnell (W), top adviser to US House Speaker Tip O'Neill; Ralph Whitehead (W), author, professor, and most original, quotable political analyst in America.

Tom Herman (D) is documentary filmmaker, international business consultant, and freelance news producer who stood on Normandy Beach for 50th anniversary of D-Day and covered fall of Berlin Wall. Yet, he calls his days as deputy revenue commissioner for Dukakis "the most meaningful time of my professional career." These are the kinds of people Patrick needs to look for in this generation.

This is my last column of season. I offer words of Borat, fake Kazakhstani filmmaker, "Give me your tears. If you will not give them to me, I will take them from you!"

Dan Payne is Boston-based media consultant who has worked for former governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts and, until November 2005, for governor-elect Deval Patrick.