When Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick refused to sign a declaration making Feb. 6 “Ronald Reagan Day,” his decision to play “politics as usual” turned a molehill into a mountain.

Governors from 33 other states — 20 Republicans and 13 Democrats — signed the proclamation, according to a Feb. 12 State House News Service article.

By not doing so, Patrick has turned the commemoration into a partisan issue. During his campaign, the governor preached the need to rise above party lines, but he did not take his own advice when declining Reaganites’ efforts.

And he is going to need Republican support while in the corner office. More than 300 of former Gov. Mitt Romney’s appointees are still in positions of power.

Patrick should have specified why he denied Reagan his day, even though the governor’s ideology differs from the Gipper’s.

And Reagan has an interesting history in Massachusetts. In both the 1980 and 1984 presidential elections, the former executive chief carried the commonwealth’s vote. He is the last Republican candidate to get the Electoral College’s votes from the liberal state.

Quietly refusing to recognize Ronald Reagan Day while stating he “honors” the former president’s duty leaves questions as to what Patrick’s motivations were and allows Reagan’s supporters to assume the worst.

Patrick may have a strong passion against what Reagan stood for if he is willing to expose himself to Republican criticism over such a small matter.

If the governor approved the celebration, he would have stayed clear of possible scrutiny. It would only have been one day in history for the former Republican president.

Although, there is something to be said for Patrick standing by his laurels. In a way, this proposal pressed leaders, who may have disapproved of Reagan’s politics, into honoring him. It is almost disrespectful to reject the commemoration of an American leader after he has passed away. Conflicted governors had to choose between their beliefs and facing negative public opinion.

In this case, however, Patrick should have bitten his tongue to avoid being bitten by political foes.