Candidate Conversation: Deval Patrick

Recent poll numbers have shown Democrat Deval Patrick's lead over Republican Kerry Healey shrinking. The narrowing coincides with a barrage of Healey ads that contend Patrick is soft on crime. In particular, the Healey campaign has criticized Patrick for advocating parole for convicted rapist Benjamin La Guer.

That was among the issues WBUR's Bob Oakes discussed with Patrick at his campaign office this week. In our series of conversations with the gubernatorial candidates, he began by asking Patrick if this was the campaign he was expecting.