Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick seeks connections with citizens

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: Massachusetts governor seeks connections with citizens
February 20, 2007


Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is the second African-American elected to a state's top post since the 1860s.

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Gov. Deval Patrick is trying to increase accessibility to Massachusetts' political leaders.

"I understand how regular people don't feel as if people in power are actually connected to them," he told CNN recently.

Patrick, the only African-American governor in the United States, ran a campaign he described as grassroots. The intent, he said, was to connect with people on a personal level. (Patrick talks about being a historical figure )

Now as their governor the Democrat is reaching out in unusual ways to keep the connection going.

Patrick will let the people of Massachusetts talk directly to him during a segment on a talk radio show called "Ask the Governor." The show will air once a month, and the governor will field questions by phone, fax and e-mail. The show also will be available on the governor's home page as a podcast.

"We ran a campaign -- and we talked about it on your show -- that was very much about asking people who had checked out to check back in," he told the first audience on WTKK. "And it was a strategy to win. But I also think that asking all those people to check in, we have to keep faith in them. We have to continue to have a way to talk directly to me, for me to hear their ideas, to get their advice."...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/20/pysk.patrick/index.html