Obama fights to overcome view he's inexperienced

BOSTON -- Democrats Barack Obama and Deval Patrick share a friendship, similar résumés, a political consultant and the complicated expectations that come with being African-American politicians.

Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, this week left behind his past as a former Justice Department official under President Clinton and threw his support to Obama, who is battling for votes against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Patrick promised to mobilize his political network to canvass for Obama in next-door New Hampshire, site of the nation's first primary.

The two friends sat down with USA TODAY late Tuesday for a joint interview, in which they talked about their belief in an inspirational and inclusive approach to politics and their conviction that a lengthy political résumé is unnecessary and even counterproductive.

Obama and Patrick have each faced charges of political inexperience and the assumption that their appeal will be primarily to black voters, the governor said. Both, however, won their current offices with broad-based support.

"People made a mistake … by supposing, presuming, that our appeal would be in certain discrete corners of people who looked like us and thought like us," Patrick said. "The whole point was to reach across divides and invite people who had checked out to check back in. And they did."

Obama said their way of practicing politics is "occasionally messy because we're not trying to massage and manage and work the inside game." He calls Clinton "the dominant brand" in their party.

Patrick, 51, was raised in Chicago, where Obama, 46, launched his career. Both are Harvard Law School grads.

In 2004, Patrick supported Obama's successful bid for the U.S. Senate from Illinois, before his own run for office two years later. "We've … fed off each other's success," Obama said. "After I won, Deval comes to my office in Washington …"

"In the basement," Patrick interjected.

"He says, 'I want to run for governor.' I said, 'Let's go.' " Obama said.