Massachusetts, considered the most liberal of states by outsiders, is poised to finally put forward
an African American as a serious contender in the race for Governor.  He has the delegates for the
ballot, it remains to be seen if he will make it through the primaries.  The other Democratic candidates
are at this moment scrambling to lock up the 15% delegate representation needed to be on the
primary ballot. This is, to me, a momentous occasion in the field of Massachusetts political history, something
that I wasn't sure I would see in my lifetime.  Although Massachusetts is viewed as a liberal state it is not
always the case. 

I'm all for Deval Patrick!

http://www.devalpatrick.com

Patrick grew up in poverty on the South Side of Chicago. He was the the first memeber of his family to get a college education.
Among his distinguished positions, he was Clinton's asst. Attorney General for Civil Rights. The funny thing is, he also sued Clinton in a voting rights case in Arkansas when he, Patrick, was working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Patrick is also a staunch opponent of the death penalty (Clinton was pro-death penalty, something I always disliked about him) and fought death penalty cases for the NAACP LDF. He was able to not only settle that voting rights case with Clinton, but influence Clinton enough to earn an appointment to his administration.

I wouldn't trust AG Tom Reilly any farther than I could throw a grand piano, and Chris Gabrielli is just another rich dude trying to by his way into politics.

As for race, remember Edward Brooke? He was a two-term senator from Massachusetts. When he won his seat in the 1966 race, he was the first African American senator elected in America since Reconstruction in 1870. Massachusetts is more than capable of electing an African American governor in 2006.

If the Dems come to their senses and get behind Patrick, he'll mop the floor with Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey. She's a joke. The last thing we need is another Jane Swift, for chrissakes.

Now even if the support goes to Reilly (or even, godforbid, Gabrelli) it is vital the Democrats campaign with their undivided support and start doing so as soon as possible. In my nightmares I never thought Romney, whose senatorial campaign against Kennedy flopped in '94, could come back to the state and get elected governor. But it happened. My disgust and disappointment on election night 2002 was oozing from every pore. If the Democrats split their support like they did in 2002, we could very well end up with that bubblehead Healey!

But please, let it be Patrick!

http://www.progressivedems.org/images/patrick.jpg

Knew you'd weigh in Max.  I, of course, remember Ed Brooke, having been of age at the time he was serving.
It was obvious at that time, though, that we wouldn't be seeing another Head Negro in Charge for a long time.
The African American power structure can be just as easily bought out as any other and I believe the business/political/religious community have been neglegigent at best. I have been for Patrick from the start, he was the only one at all willing to throw his hat in the ring at the first stage, and even though he was ignored by
the press for a long long time, they thinking Reilly would be the one, did come to the realization that Patrick, right under their noses, had become the political force for this election.  Think of it!  In Massachusetts, a female against an African American!  I will not get excited until the ballots are printed, but this, in Mass politics is absolutely cataclysmic

"This is one small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind."