As he kicks off his presidential campaign, traveling the country, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is resurrecting "best of" lines from campaigns past while testing out new ones like, "I'm talking about being woke while leaving room for the still waking."
"I think he's gotten off to a good start," said Republican consultant Rob Gray. "He's getting earned media. He has a message of unity, which is different than the rest of the Democratic field."
But Gray, who's worked for five presidential candidates, says Patrick will need more than outstanding speaking skills to overcome his enormous challenges.
"The volunteers, the staff the fundraisers and the donors have all been absorbed by other candidates already who have been in the race for a long time," he said.
Democratic consultant Michael Goldman, who's worked on seven presidential campaigns, says Patrick should be strategic about his early primary states.
"There's really no place for him in the Iowa landscape," Goldman said. "It's fair to say, just to play in the two big races, New Hampshire and South Carolina, you're talking maybe $50 million."
Patrick acknowledges he will need to rely on PAC money.
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"I don't know what that is, I don't know where that'll come from and I wish and I wish it weren't so," he added. "I wish the campaigns weren't as expensive."
And money isn't the only obstacle.
"He needs to have a rationale for candidacy that moves voters quickly," Goldman said.
Running as a moderate, Patrick says he is concerned about the lack of unifying momentum among any of the candidates, but he still seems to be sharpening his own case for why he would be better.
When asked in New Hampshire, Patrick responded, "It's another option."
