TWIN PEAKS

A tip of the hat to the Politico blog in its making this apt comparison between Deval Patrick’s rhetoric and Barak Obama’s (the NY Times also references it this AM) … as follows:

“Here's Patrick at a rally for his gubernatorial campaign on Oct. 15, 2006, during the final stretch of his successful campaign against then-Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R): “But her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is that all I have to offer is words — just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, [applause and cheers] that all men are created equal.’ [Sustained applause and cheers.] Just words – just words! ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words! ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ Just words! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words!”

Here’s Obama on Saturday night at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Founders Day Gala in Milwaukee: “Don’t tell me words don’t matter! ‘I have a dream.’ Just words. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words! [Applause.] ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words — just speeches!”An Obama official said: “They're friends who share similar views and talk and trade good lines all the time.””

(Remember that both Patrick and Obama have the same campaign strategist – David Axelrod.) Maybe this obvious similarity is why Hillary won both the New Hampshire and Massachusetts Democrat primaries. We here have had first-hand experiences on how hard it is to translate rhetoric into action. I expect that the rest of the country may still have to learn this lesson.