MA-Gov: Baker massively popular

[heatcharger]

Even as Trump is radioactive. WNE poll of job approvals:

Baker 68/13
Warren: 63/30
Markey: 53/21
Healey: 64/16
Trump: 19/76

[Bidenworth2020]

why is Healey being polled?

[cvparty]

wow, trump at -57

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Likely R in the gov race.

[Deblano]

FF

[IceSpear]

It's pretty funny that MA is going to deliver mirror image landslides to both Charlie Baker and Elizabeth Warren.

[Holmes]

Trump will drag Baker down but his personal popularity and Massachusetts' ticket splitting will save him. He should win by about 10%.

Hogan is... screwed.

[IceSpear]

Trump will drag Baker down but his personal popularity and Massachusetts' ticket splitting will save him. He should win by about 10%.

Hogan is... screwed.

Is Baker even going to get a remotely serious challenger with these numbers? It wouldn't surprise me if MA Dems just let him coast, especially since they already have veto proof majorities in the legislature.

[TheSaint250]

FF

[RogueBeaver]

FF

[progressive85]

I want to vote a straight Democratic ticket next year, but I think even I will vote to re-elect the Governor.  I'm a very liberal Democrat, but he hasn't done anything wrong.  He's just been a balanced, moderate kind of guy and he signed the trans rights bill, which is up on the ballot for repeal.  So I'll be voting all Democrats + Yes on trans rights, but I guess I'll be voting for Charlie too.  Besides, the legislature already has D supermajorities.

[Classic Conservative]

I don't think my family will actually support the governor this term, he's a little too liberal for our taste.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Charlie Baker is a RINO cuck

[Brittain33]

I don't think I'll vote for him but I'll be just fine with it when he wins with a huge majority.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

And when I say "RINO cuck" I say it in an endearing way. I'm a big fan of RINOs.

Great to see Charlie Baker with far better approvals than Trump. Wish national republicans would take notice.

[Lord Admirale]

I know Baker will win reelection. It's been known since last year

[Indy Texas]

I don't think my family will actually support the governor this term, he's a little too liberal for our taste.

Massachusetts is a little too liberal for your taste. Maybe you'd be happier in a place like Kentucky or Idaho.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Hogan is... screwed.

Right. I imagine the voters there will be looking for any way to stick it to Trump. Throwing a Republican Governor out on his ass being one of them.

[McGovernForPrez]

I want to vote a straight Democratic ticket next year, but I think even I will vote to re-elect the Governor.  I'm a very liberal Democrat, but he hasn't done anything wrong.  He's just been a balanced, moderate kind of guy and he signed the trans rights bill, which is up on the ballot for repeal.  So I'll be voting all Democrats + Yes on trans rights, but I guess I'll be voting for Charlie too.  Besides, the legislature already has D supermajorities.

I also had the same opinion, but I've changed my mind since. I don't dislike Baker but a lot of his proposals for balancing the budget are kinda dangerous. Stuff like cutting funding to the MBTA and health care have really made me rethink voting for him. The MBTA is an especially personal issues because I rely on it so much, and it's already extremely slow with its current funding.

[MAINEiac4434]

Charlie Baker is a RINO cuck

So you’d rather have quasi-socialist Setti Warren in office?

[Lord Admirale]

Charlie Baker is a RINO cuck

So you’d rather have quasi-socialist Setti Warren in office?

DTC was joking.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I'll support any democrat over Baker, not bad, but MA can do better.

[progressive85]

I want to vote a straight Democratic ticket next year, but I think even I will vote to re-elect the Governor.  I'm a very liberal Democrat, but he hasn't done anything wrong.  He's just been a balanced, moderate kind of guy and he signed the trans rights bill, which is up on the ballot for repeal.  So I'll be voting all Democrats + Yes on trans rights, but I guess I'll be voting for Charlie too.  Besides, the legislature already has D supermajorities.

I also had the same opinion, but I've changed my mind since. I don't dislike Baker but a lot of his proposals for balancing the budget are kinda dangerous. Stuff like cutting funding to the MBTA and health care have really made me rethink voting for him. The MBTA is an especially personal issues because I rely on it so much, and it's already extremely slow with its current funding.

I'm definitely going to have to read more about that.  I guess at the end of the day there's still a reason why he's a Republican and not a Democrat.

I think the young redheaded Kennedy should definitely run.  I think it would be a tossup if he did.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Baker can be beaten if the Democrat can nationalize the race. 

Martha Coakley could beat Baker if the race was nationalized, and she was adequately funded.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

^ In 2014, Baker didn't have incumbency (and the extreme popularity that comes with it for him). That's a big difference. Also, the usual list of democratic attacks doesn't seem to work for Baker:

- Anti-Choice? Nope, Baker's pro-choice.
- Anti-LGBT? Nope, Baker's pro-LGBT
- Voted for Trump? Nope, Baker came out as a #NeverTrumper months before Nov. '16
- Came out in favor of AHCA or the republican tax bill? No (or at least not yet)
- Ruined the state economy? No
- Spent a ton of time outside the state running for President? No
- Passed some super-controversial bill? Clearly no, considering his approvals

Sure, they can go on about what Baker proposed Re: RomneyCare, but none of that actually ever passed, right? An attack on what someone "proposed" to do, but never actually got to pass, doesn't seem like a very effective attack strategy. And while the whole "vote for Setti Warren to show your support for the resistance!" line is a good idea for a part of the campaign strategy, it can't be the entire campaign - you have to stand FOR something.

At the end of the day, there doesn't really seem to be a good attack to use to get the independents who voted for Patrick in 2010 and Baker in 2014 to vote for Setti Warren in 2018. And they'll decide the race if it's competitive.