Democratic Debate: Live Updates – The New York Times

Mr. Patrick says the first days of his newly announced presidential campaign have given him enough grass-roots signals to be confident: Voters are, in fact, open to his late arriving candidacy.

“What I’m sensing is not some openness to someone new, but an openness to me,” Mr. Patrick said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I kept hearing that I’m pragmatic in South Carolina.”

Based on the rules from the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Patrick cannot participate in a debate until he secures several polls showing a baseline of support and hundreds of thousands of grass-roots donors. Instead, he is in Atlanta to meet with students at Morehouse College. The former governor said has watched “every minute of every debate,” before today, and has decided to jump into the race because he sees a space for a uniting figure.

Responding to questions, Mr. Patrick questioned two of the race’s biggest front-runners, Ms. Warren and Mr. Biden. Of Mr. Biden’s strong poll numbers with black people, Mr. Patrick said “I’ve thought all along that support was softer than it seems.”

He took issue with a line Ms. Warren has used in recent stump speeches — that if Democrats nominate a candidate without big ideas they will lose. Mr. Patrick zeroed in on the issue of health care, where Ms. Warren supports transitioning to a single-payer system. He supports a government run public option.

“Every single one of us is talking about how to deliver universal health care. And it’s absolutely absurd to say that one person’s method is unambitious,” Mr. Patrick said.

Mr. Patrick will need significant financial investment to scale up a campaign that can win the nomination in a short time, which has led to some speculation that he’s entering the race to play spoiler to the progressives in the race or bring about a brokered convention. He laughed at the suggestion.

“I’ve heard all of it and it’s gone in one ear and out the other,” Mr. Patrick said.

“I can’t imagine why anybody would want to begin a process as grinding as this without wanting to win.”

Astead W. Herndon, Thomas Kaplan, Katie Glueck and Alexander Burns contributed reporting.

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