New In The Phoenix -- Can Deval Hang On?

Published Sep 29 2010, 01:56 PM by David S. Bernstein

In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I take a look at the current state of the Deval Patrick campaign.

I start with this observation:

By rights, Deval Patrick should have no chance. He's an unpopular governor (a majority of voters believe he does not deserve re-election) running in the middle of a devastating recession. He faces a brutal economic climate, widespread anti–Beacon Hill sentiment, and a formidable challenge in Republican star Charlie Baker. Given those hurdles, many doubted that Patrick would even seek re-election.

Yet Patrick is not only running, he has led in every poll taken this year.

But the fact that he's been leading doesn't mean that his challenge has gotten easier. I try to give you a sense of how he's trying to thread the needle toward re-election.

The article is here:

Can Patrick Hang On?