Deval Who and What?

Last night and this morning, I found myself easily stunned, yet again and again. One would suppose that I would have gotten over that in all these years.

Both times, I found that I needed to step back and accept that I am relatively deeply into politics, blogs and other trappings of shifting democracy. Both times, I was astonished by folk who didn't know what Deval Patrick is about. If my experiences are at all indicitive, his team has a trainload of work to do.

Yesterday evening, we went out with another couple. I had forgotten that I was wearing a Deval for Governor sticker. The other guys are very well educated, in degrees at least, literate, and local. The hubby pointed to my shirt and asked who Deval Patrick was. He thought he had heard of him.

I did not go into a rant and I don't think I did the Dance Indentifying a Moron ritual with my hands or eyes. Yet, I was astonished.

He quickly knew how I differentiated Patrick from the candidates who have no position or policy or plan to move Massachusetts to social and economic equality and betterment. Of course, that was only two people. They were grunting and nodding, saying it sounded like they would vote for him. Yet again, that was only two citizens.

Then in this morning's Boston Globe, the Adrian Walker column was well meaning, but just as ignorant. He wrote about how well received Patrick was at last weekend's rally, even though many still ask whether he can win the primary and election.

And then he made me put my coffee mug down with:

Patrick likes to say he wants to run on the issues, though I for one wish he had offered more specifics about them. It's easy to say the governor and Legislature haven't shown much vision on healthcare and education; it's a lot harder to say what one would do instead, other than ''lead." A lot of the Patrick message remains squishy. His greatest strength at this point is himself -- his life story and charisma.

This may explain why the Globe has offered so little issues coverage so far. Down on Morrissey Boulevard, they are in a cave watching shadows on the wall.

If our chums and this sometimes savvy columnist have avoided the news, have not read the opinion pieces on the Net and in the papers, and have not checked out the candidates on their sites and at their many stump speeched, what does that say for the voters?

Walker needs an email with a URL -- this morning. The specifics are there. How amazing it is that he would not have bothered to look before writing the column. How 21st Century that he would think that his one experiential fragment is the whole picture.

There is huge difference in the announced candidates. None is as clear or as important as that only a single candidate for governor has issues and solutions for all to hear, read and see. Yet, whatever Patrick and his team are doing is obviously not enough so far. Damn.