Outgoing Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick has thought about himself in the White House. Like most of the protesting public, he also would have liked to see a grand jury indictment of Ferguson, Mo., Officer Darren Wilson, according to an interview he did over the weekend.
"I think a trial and the transparency of a trial would be good for the community," Patrick, Massachusetts' first black governor, told Chuck Todd, host of NBC's Meet the Press, on Sunday. "So many of us have the supposition that police officers are not going to be held accountable and are not going to have to answer for the shooting of unarmed young black teenagers."
Patrick, who led the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division from 1993 to 1996, noted that bringing federal charges against Wilson would be a challenge because of the burden of proof necessary. "It will be very difficult," Patrick said. "It's very important, I think, that DOJ is investigating it, and I know that Attorney General [Eric] Holder has been urging that investigation and will drive it through to conclusion."
Patrick wasn't coy about expressing his disinterest in the White House in 2016. "I've thought about it, but no, I can't get ready for 2016," Patrick said. "This is the first elected office I've held, and it has been two really challenging, fun terms. But I didn't run for the job to get another job, just to do this job."
He did, however, offer Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in 2016 polls, according to Yahoo News, a bit of advice about toning down the "inevitability" portion of her speeches. According to Patrick, some may feel that Clinton is being presented as entitled to the office.
"I think that the narrative that it's inevitable is off-putting to regular voters. I don't mean that as a criticism of her; I just think people read inevitably as entitlement," he said. "And the American people want, and ought to want, their candidates to sweat for the job, to actually make the case for why they're the right person for the right time."
Patrick also warned his fellow Democrats that moving away from President Obama is a "huge mistake." He noted the recent midterm elections in which Democrats lost control of the Senate as his proof and added that the president could do a better job touting his accomplishments.
"One problem, I think, that the president has is that he doesn't tell that story very well or very regularly," he said.
Read more at the Yahoo News.