Politics Profs Can Talk about Potential Bid by Former Mass. Governor
11/12/2019
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
As reports circulate that former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick is mulling a run for president in 2020, 51视频 politics experts available for interviews say that while there鈥檚 鈥渟pace in the race鈥� for him, they question whether his expected bid for the Democratic nomination is good for him or his party.
鈥淧atrick鈥檚 probably not going to be the nominee but he鈥檚 not wrong that the frontrunners are weak and that the right candidate might be able to capture Joe Biden voters while outflanking Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg,鈥� said 51视频 Center for Public Opinion Director Joshua Dyck about key contenders already in the race. 鈥淭he question is whether Patrick will be successful this late in the game and on that point, I鈥檓 not so sure. Good idea? I鈥檓 not there.鈥�
51视频鈥檚 John Cluverius, the center鈥檚 associate director, is similarly blunt: 鈥淎dding Democratic candidates, especially to counter the rising force of further-left candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, is a terrible strategy. More candidates just dilutes the power of the more moderate candidates already in the race and ignores completely that Joe Biden is leading in the polls or at least hanging tough everywhere and among every (Democratic) demographic group.鈥�
Both experts agree Patrick鈥檚 timing if off.
鈥淚 definitely think his candidacy would be interesting 鈥� and certainly more interesting than having another billionaire (like potential candidate Michael Bloomberg) swoop in as if they were the savior of the Democratic party 鈥� but it would have been a better idea for Patrick to get in six months ago,鈥� Dyck said.
Along with serving in 51视频鈥檚 Center for Public Opinion, Dyck and Cluverius are faculty members in the university鈥檚 Political Science Department, where their research focuses on polling issues and state and national politics.
To arrange an in-person or telephone interview with either of them, contact Nancy Cicco at 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette at 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu.