Obama Playbook Recalls Deval Patrick Campaign

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Obama Playbook Recalls Patrick Campaign
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 12, 2008
Filed at 11:26 a.m. ET

BOSTON (AP) -- Barack Obama, who has made his mark in the presidential race with his call for a new brand of politics, isn't quite as singular on the political scene as his campaign would suggest. Obama's personal history, his campaign playbook and even his words share striking similarities with that of another up-and-coming black Democrat, his good friend Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Both have followed a simple but effective game plan in their political rise: Tell a compelling story about yourself and inspire people who feel left out to take back their government. Stay on a message of hope and unity. And both have employed the same political consultant.

Obama even admits that he was borrowing a line from Patrick when, during a New Hampshire appearance, he urged people to ''vote your aspirations.'' But he notes that Patrick has borrowed lines from him, too. Wherever the rhetoric originates, their supporters say, is less important than the results. Patrick made history becoming Massachusetts' first black governor. Obama is trying to emulate that success as he seeks the White House, and his finishes in early contests for the Democratic nomination show the message is resonating for some....

Both men share Chicago roots, were educated at Harvard and are skilled at bringing together diverse coalitions of supporters, using their personal histories as backdrops to persuade voters to join what they describe as a movement, while competitors run campaigns....

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Patrick, who insists there's no playbook, has endorsed Obama and campaigned for him. He said he and Obama are ''hungry for a change, a much more engaged citizenship. We both believe those things, and I think that's why sometimes ... the things we say are similar.'' And sometimes identical....

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Obama strategist David Axelrod, who helped Obama win his Senate seat in 2004, was a media consultant for Patrick's 2006 campaign. He said it's hard to separate the two when it comes to political philosophies. ''It's not surprising that there would be a commonality of themes,'' Axelrod said. ''They've been friends for so long. They talk a lot. They share sensibilities about politics and government. I'm sure they learned from each other. They're running campaigns that reflect who they are.'' Axelrod said the model for the Obama presidential run was the Patrick campaign, ''in terms of the grassroots nature of it. It was a people-driven campaign.''...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obama-Patrick.html