It was, by all accounts, expected to be a standard welcoming speech given by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to the National Association of Black Journalists, who gathered in Boston for their annual convention.
But this speech seemed to have a different tone.
"I am a liberal Democrat from a reliably blue state," he said, adding, "I'm a black man elected governor twice in a state where African Americans account for only about 8 percent of the population. I'm a capitalist who believes we need to grow the economy, not just to create wealth, although that is good, but also to mainly create opportunity."
Patrick went on to say that despite spending most of his professional life in the private sector, he doesn't hate government, and that while he doesn't believe that government can solve every problem, he doesn't believe the private markets can, either.
"In other words, like you and most people you and I know, I don't fit neatly in any box. Basically I believe most political labels and much political orthodoxy is stale and I am suspicious of conventional wisdom. Indeed, of all such political rhetoric, none has failed us more, in my view, than that which says you grow a modern economy by cutting taxes, crushing unions, shrinking governments and leaving markets to do the rest," he said.
Patrick goes on to say that Republicans did just that in Massachusetts for almost two decades prior to his tenure, and then listed key accomplishments of his administration.
"It sounds to me like Governor Patrick was message testing today," Patrick Griffin, a Republican political consultant who had advised Mitt Romney during run, said. "Governor Patrick leaves himself the opportunity to continue to be speculated about - not just for president. How about Vice President Patrick? Or the cabinet? Or ambassadorship? Deval Patrick has been in the spotlight too long to step away from it."
Politics
Michael Goldman is a Democratic consultant who advised Michael Dukakas during his presidential bid.
"It is hard to imagine that he will not be a national voice and he will not be part of the Democratic vision from many years to come. If that's a run for national office, we'll see," he said.
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