Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

WinsingtonIII t1_iwkz8ag wrote

I really don’t see how he’d win the Republican primary. Maybe he could win a couple New England states (though I’m not sure that’s guaranteed), but he is not nearly conservative enough for the national GOP. Even among the non-Trump wing of the party, they are mostly looking for someone very conservative like DeSantis.

Can you imagine Baker backing a “don’t say gay” school bill or pulling a stunt shipping migrants to California? No. And those are the sort of “own the libs” political stunts GOP primary voters love on the national level.

32

Cheap_Coffee t1_iwl3hto wrote

>I really don’t see how he’d win the Republican primary.

This.

14

Dagonus t1_iwl8qkn wrote

IIRC, the Mass GOP didn't even mention Baker at their last state convention so, I'm not even sure he could win a Mass GOP primary at this point.

8

WinsingtonIII t1_iwl9mzk wrote

Yep. There are rumors that part of the reason Baker didn't run was because he saw internal polling showing him losing in the Republican primary to Diehl. He is actually much more favorably viewed by Democrats and people who voted for Biden than he is by Republicans and people who voted for Trump, so it's believable: https://news.northeastern.edu/2021/12/13/charlie-baker-democrat-support/

That said, he's probably also just burnt out after COVID, being a governor during the pandemic must have been brutal.

6

Suspicious-Relief-31 t1_iwlfjea wrote

Also for months he had protesters camped out across the street from his home. In fact one person entered his home, through MSP PROTECTION! To leave an envelope on his kitchen table, Absolutely not KOOL !

3

nebirah OP t1_iwl0uz2 wrote

I wonder the last time a New England governor/senator came close to President. We've had lots of people who tried and didn't come close. JFK obviously but who since him?

3

WinsingtonIII t1_iwl1u0q wrote

Romney in 2012 and Kerry in 2004 come to mind, and there was Dukakis in 1988 (but that wasn’t a close race). Actually a pretty decent recent showing for a state the size of MA to have 3 major party presidential candidates make the general election in the last 35 years. But none of them won.

19

boomajohn20 t1_iwlfayl wrote

Don’t forget Liz Warren in 2020

4

WinsingtonIII t1_iwlgl7t wrote

True, but I was only counting candidates who made the general election. Honestly, since OP said New England generally, Sanders has made a bigger impact in primaries than Warren did.

5

Electronic_Company64 t1_iwloqpl wrote

Dukakis had a big lead over Senior Bush that summer, but then, the tank and then the question about Kitty and rape. He was just too cold ( or analytical) for most people. Would have been a good president though.

2