Deval Patrick Quotes

One great thing about being a black man is that if you put on a hat, you can move around unnoticed.

Let's go tell everyone we meet that, when the American dream is at stake, you want Barack Obama in charge.

Mitt Romney talks a lot about all the things he's fixed. I can tell you that Massachusetts wasn't one of them. He's a fine fellow and a great salesman, but as governor he was more interested in having the job than doing it.

I view the experiences that I have had - both the tough ones and the pleasant ones - as gifts.

We're Americans. We shape our own future. Let's start by standing up for President Barack Obama.

Be present - and see what a difference it makes in your lives and in the world.

It's time for democrats to grow a backbone and stand up for what we believe.

A great teacher who is full of excitement and love for her students can make all the difference in their lives.

I’m planning to stay in politics now, but, you know, George Burns worked until he was 100. I don’t know. I don’t want to be a Senator until I’m honored.

Anybody who knows me knows that I'm no attack dog.

Don't tell me words don't matter.

I very much believe in values-based leadership, and that the values that I believe in and try to govern by are transcendent values. They have nothing to do with race or even with political parties. Secondly, I think nothing substitutes for the power of the grassroots by showing them the courtesy of going to them where they are and inviting them to take part in the political process.

I've learned over the years that identity has a whole lot less to do with location or other people's expectations than with your own sense of self and self-confidence.

Hope for the best and work for it.

If you are ever going to move beyond where you stand at that moment you have to conjure a picture in your head of where you want to go.

For too long, Democrats have been telling people what they want to hear. I'm going to tell you what I believe.

I think that hope, that ability to envision, to imagine a better way, and then to apply yourself to it, is the way to climb out of a hole, is the way to build a better life, is the way to build a better community and a better country.

We have drained common sense out of our politics. The more we focus on tactics and games, the more good people check out and give up

I do identify with St. Patrick, not just in name. He drove the snakes out of Ireland. I intend to drive the snakes out of the State House

Two [Massachusetts coal burning power plants] remain: Brayton Point in the South Coast region and Mt. Tom, just down the road. Within the next four years, both should shut down and Massachusetts should finally end all reliance on conventional coal generation.

"Government" is the name we give to the things we choose to do together.

Governor is the only office I've ever run for, and I did so in the first place because I felt that there was a contribution I could make right now in governing for the long term and by leading by values. I ran for a second term to finish the work we started. I'll finish this out and return to the private sector, which I enjoy and miss in some ways.

It's a free country. I wish it weren't.