Opinion|Mike Hardman: What’s Deval Patrick up to?

If you were going to name the Massachusetts Governor with the best chance to be President of the United States, Charlie Baker would be the first choice, but don’t forget the man, who he replaced in the corner office.

Former Gov. Deval Patrick was recently in Alabama to campaign against Judge Roy Moore, which put him right smack in the middle of the spotlight along with New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker, who is also rumored to be a candidate in 2020, and was urging voters to vote against Moore..

With Booker it is easy to figure out why he has been hitting the road in very high-profile events. He wants to be president and has been grooming for this since he was the mayor of Newark, but Patrick has been steadfast in saying he doesn’t want to go to Washington. Patrick is a friend and big supporter of President Obama, but refused an offer to leave Massachusetts for a role in the administration.

Has he changed his mind?

If he ran, Patrick could probably count on the support of the Obamas, taking advantage of their campaign team and connections. The former president could be counted on to speak out for his friend and raise money.

But Patrick would have to overcome his record as a Massachusetts politician. See Mitt Romney, Michael Dukakis, and former Lit. Gov. John Kerry to see how this wouldn’t be easy. Republicans would portray him as being soft on crime and very, very liberal, which doesn’t play well in places Patrick would need to carry.

There would also be the spectacle of what is going on in the Massachusetts Senate these days with former Sen. President Stanley Rosenberg and former Senator Brian Joyce, who used to be Patrick’s neighbor in Milton and was a huge supporter. Joyce is facing charges of allegedly using his Senate office for criminal activities.

If Patrick decided he wanted to be President, those situations could be still going on or still fresh in the eyes of those who oppose him. If they weren’t, a quick Google search will allow them to pop up again.

Even though he is acting like someone who has dreams of Washington, maybe Patrick just likes getting away from the weekend and meeting people. After all, running for President would be a difficult road for Patrick.

(Mike Hardman is the digital managing editor for WBSM. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.)