Article snippet: Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick defended his right to join a stage with 13 other Democratic presidential candidates, telling Harry Reid and other prominent Nevada politicians that he wouldn’t be running if he didn’t see a path to the White House. “I am not running to be president of the Democrats, I am running to be president of the United States,” Patrick told the crowd at the so-called First in the West dinner at Las Vegas’s Bellagio casino, where Reid, the former Senate majority leader, received an award. Patrick, who just stepped down as a managing director at Bain Capital LP, entered the presidential race last week. The dinner Sunday night was his first appearance with fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Other contenders shared abbreviated versions of their stump speeches, plus praise of Reid, who was given an eponymous lifetime achievement award to chants of “We love Harry!” Several, including top-tier candidates Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, sharpened their arguments about selecting a nominee strong enough to beat President Trump. But Patrick offered few details about what distinguishes his campaign. He said he would be rolling out an agenda in the coming weeks and defended the timing of his entry into the race. Asked by reporters if his late debut rendered his candidacy a fool’s errand, Patrick told reporters, “I wouldn’t have made the decision if I didn’t think there was a path. We are going to have to prove that not just to you,... Link to the full article to read more