In a very early — if not premature — forecast of next year's gubernatorial races, Stateline.org lists Massachusetts as one of nine states considered "safe" for the incumbent party. (New Hampshire is also "safe," while the GOP's hold on Rhode Island is "vulnerable.")
I doubt that Gov. Deval Patrick is taking his next campaign lightly, given the state's fiscal crisis, the ups and downs of his relationship with the Legislature, and, of course, the alleged lurch to the right in Massachusetts. Patrick may also remember that one academic study called him "the most powerful governor in America" only days after he took office – but before many of his major policy initiatives stalled on Beacon Hill.
Still, our governor can always comfort himself with a little schadenfreade by reading about the next-door neighbor who was widely expected to overshadow Patrick during his first term.