Campaign's invisible foe

Deval Patrick's campaign headquarters was a scrum of activity yesterday, preparing for a major campaign event today and the Democratic State Convention this weekend.

Volunteers and paid staff alike seemed blissfully unaware that the common assumption is that winning the convention means little.

Don't ask me why a man who made $3.8 million last year is campaigning for a job that would come with a 95 percent pay cut. But, as his staff was working away, Patrick was out of the office, crafting his convention speech.

Yesterday afternoon, I asked Patrick what he would say.

``I'm trying to find the right word to ask people to see beyond politics as usual," he said. ``It hasn't come to me yet."

The notion that politics-as-usual is the enemy is one of Patrick's major themes. He is well aware that the significance of winning the convention is already being downplayed.

``We soar over the obstacles, and people say ho-hum," he said. ``First, they say you can't raise any money. Then they say a grass-roots campaign is quaint and anachronistic. It's one thing after another.

``We keep saying: `Yes, we can. Yes, we can.' I have to make that case to the delegates Saturday."

Patrick's campaign is hosting a major rally today at the John B. Hynes Convention Center, headlined by US Senator Barack Obama. How Patrick describes the rationale for the event says a lot about his campaign.

``He represents the future of not just the Democratic Party, but of enlightened American leadership," Patrick said of Obama. ``He's a thoughtful, serious person who's looking to be a problem solver, not just a partisan." He pauses. ``Also, he's a rock star, and we can raise a lot of money."

Note what he does not mention: that Obama is also black, one of very few African-Americans who have won statewide elections.

Patrick leaves it to voters to connect the dots on their own, to figure out that if Illinois can survive electing a black senator, then Massachusetts doesn't need to be afraid of a black governor.

It is the invisible campaign issue, the one that gets discussed only in code, the one too hot for polite company.

Patrick himself is part of the conspiracy of silence. To his credit, race isn't what his campaign is about. He said a veteran legislator told him recently that he would be the unquestioned front-runner in the campaign, if he were white.

``As this candidacy becomes stronger and I become a more serious candidate in the minds of some of the wise guys and wise gals, they really are asking themselves if this can happen," he said. ``Race is with us. It's not all there is, though. I'm trusting the people of Massachusetts to see that and all the rest of what I am. I'm asking the people of Massachusetts to see the whole of who I am and how I've done."

Patrick is running on his record as a lawyer and corporate chief, and on his impressive life story, as well he should.

It is hard, though, to ignore the political history in this state, which strongly suggests that race will be a factor before all is said and done.

Obviously, it is premature to talk about whether Patrick can win the election. And it is downright sad to have to think about it in terms of ethnicity.

Like Patrick, I'd be happy if no one ever needed to spend two seconds thinking about it. That said, it's odd how it lurks at the margin of the campaign, ever present yet publicly ignored.

Pretending it doesn't exist is how we mostly deal with race in Massachusetts though, right?

Patrick's campaign has crossed some hurdles that were expected to trip it up. He has proven that he can raise money, build an organization, and recruit delegates.

We'll see down the line whether he can win voters.

But there's one other hurdle out there, and I'm not sure it can ever go away if it's never acceptable to discuss it.

Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at walker@globe.com.