Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Patrick as the 2020 Democrats [OPINION]

Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick could be the dream team for the Democrats in their war to beat President Donald J. Trump in the 2020 election.

Most incumbents win re-election. From city councilors to the President of the United States, incumbents are there because they convinced the voters to elect them and it is difficult to convince people they made a mistake and now they must privately confess that mistake in the voting booth.

As Bruce Springsteen says, there has to be a reason to believe.

The former Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is an American success story. He is a self-made billionaire and he managed the greatest city in the world. He has a great story to tell and he has the resources to tell the story to the people who will choose to participate in the primaries and the general elections.

The former Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, also has a good story to tell about his life in the private sector and in public service. Republican Charlie Baker is the most popular governor in the country, but when he challenged Gov. Patrick, he lost. Doesn't that give Patrick the ability to say he has defeated the man now considered the most popular governor?

Black voters have put their faith in the Democratic Party since the 1960s. It was the Democrats who put forward Barack Obama, the first successful black candidate for president. The winning coalition for Democrats relies on the votes of blacks. Not having a qualified black candidate on the presidential ticket, in either position, is a step backward.

Both Bloomberg and Patrick have deep experience in the day-to-day operations of government. They have done the real things that matter in government. Garbage pick-up, school budgets, snowstorms, hurricanes, appointing judges, and setting tax policy are just some of the practical issues they have dealt with as elected officials. Those don't sound like a big deal to the national media, but think about your life for a moment and you will agree with how important those matters are to Americans.

I know Patrick has been to the funerals of America's best – like Tyler Trahan of Freetown, who died fighting our enemies overseas – and he will take that to the White House if he gets there.

Both Bloomberg and Patrick have experience in the free-market economy and that is important for the Democrats now more than any other resumé line of their candidates. They understand the importance of entrepreneurship and capital and they have lived it rather than read about it in books others never actually finished reading.   

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.