Congratulations, Massachusetts

The death was announced last night, across every city and town in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with resounding force, of the politics of the past. Deval Patrick and Timothy Murray are the nominees of my party for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Patrick didn't just win, he blew away a venture capitalist with an insane amount of money and TV airtime and a popular, incumbent Attorney General. To say this achievement is earth-shattering does not do it justice. A lot of thanks go out to people like Peter Dolan and the Progressive Democrats of Masschusetts, who found Patrick and took him under their wing, making him a political superstar. An African-American civil rights lawyer from Chicago, who began campaigning 18 months ago with little more than the change in his pocket and some fresh ideas about direction for our Commonwealth, garnered half of the votes cast in last night's tally. To the people at the Patrick campaign, I salute you. You did for progressive politics what a lot of us on the Dean Campaign started and could not finish. You have truly lived the dream so far and put yourself in position to change Massachusetts for the better for a very long time. And, for the first time since the debacle of 2004, you have made me, personally, proud once again to say that I am a Massachusetts Democrat.
The fight is on now, however. Kerry Healey and the Republicans will be formidable opponents as they have every intention on keeping the Corner Office, their last vestige of power in the Commonwealth, which they have held for 16 years. The next seven weeks will be a bruising test of our, and Patrick's, resolve. But it is a fight that will make Patrick stronger as a person and, eventually, a Governor, and one that we democrats intend to win.