Deval Patrick’s Failure to Launch [OPINION]

I wonder if Deval Patrick did any sort of polling before he tossed his hat into an already uninspiring, overcrowded field of candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination? Perhaps someone on Patrick's P.R. staff forgot to get the word out that Small Deval was getting in, because few seemed to notice or care.

The national media is so transfixed with its mission to undo the election of 2016 by running flak for the Democrats who are attempting to stage a not-so-subtle coup that it has barely noticed Patrick. The voters are apparently not paying attention either, because last night Patrick had to cancel a campaign rally in Atlanta when only two people showed up.

The event scheduled at Morehouse College, a historically black men's school, could only turn out two people interested enough to hear what the former Massachusetts governor had to say. But even they were disappointed because Patrick canceled the event. The student organization that sponsored the rally told ABC News it was given only given 24 hours’ notice about the event. When notified that only two people turned out, the campaign canceled it and made an excuse about Patrick being late for a flight.

Morehouse College is mere blocks from where the Democrat debate was held last night and Patrick's rally should have been a magnet in a politically-charged environment such as that. That is, if people really cared enough to go.

The black vote in America has been taken for granted for decades. The Democrats have just assumed blacks would fall into line and support whomever they put up. And it happened. But since Donald Trump asked blacks to give him a chance and has delivered for them in terms of jobs, higher wages, lower taxes, fewer regulations that have resulted in more black-owned businesses, and criminal justice reform, the Democrats can no longer take that vote for granted.

Deval Patrick may have miscalculated Trump's growing approval with black voters by thinking that many blacks, not enthused by the field of Democrats, would flock to him as an alternative to Trump and what the Democrats are offering.

Patrick also waited much too long to get into the race only to find voters are not ready to embrace him with the open arms welcome he anticipated. How audacious of him to pull the savior routine. Deval Patrick does not have that kind of star power and should just go home before he embarrasses himself further.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.