Baker needs to keep national GOP at bay

When Gov. Charlie Baker approached reporters Monday, his body language was louder than his words. He knew he’d be taking questions about his intention to snub Vice President Mike Pence at yesterday’s fundraiser in Boston, and he did his best to ride out the scrum.

When asked if he’d be meeting with Pence, Baker meekly proffered, “No. I think I’m actually going to be in the South Coast, down in New Bedford, when he’s here.”

The inevitable next question was if he was sending a message by not attending an RNC fundraiser, and Baker attempted a response in the same way a person who’s been trying in vain to insert a wrinkled dollar bill into a vending machine reaches back into his pocket, only to find a more wrinkled bill and hopes beyond hope for it to work.

“I’m not sending a message. I’m just not going to be here because my calendar already had all kinds of other stuff on it which is important.”

“Stuff” is the Rudy Ruettiger of words and only employed in a meaningless transaction.

Reporters gave it another try. Gov. Baker unbound himself from an initial stammer and stumbled forward, ticking off his bullet points, “I was ... no ... My calendar was full. I didn’t know about it.” At one point he told reporters that he didn’t know if he was invited.

One almost expected the chaff train to be never ending: My calendar was full. I didn’t know about it. Y2K. The curse of the Bambino.

Everybody knows the truth. Charlie Baker wants nothing to do with the Trump administration. He wants no part of a big ticket fundraiser at the Langham hotel now, just as he didn’t in June 2016.

He has a high approval rating in this state because he’s branded himself as the affable and capable Charlie Baker, not as a Republican, and certainly not as a “Make America Great Again” Republican.

Any sign of warmth between Charlie Baker and the Trump administration would give his Democratic challengers exactly what they’ve been looking for — a chance to tie him to the policies and behavior of the president and mobilize Democratic voters to use their “Resistance” passion to take back the Corner Office.

There are some who say that Baker should openly express his disdain for the Trump administration but that would only attract the ire of the more than 1 million residents who supported the Trump/Pence ticket.

Others, like former U.S. Sen. Robert Smith, a conservative New Hampshire Republican, think political loyalties and tradition are important, saying that Baker should “Show some respect. If you’re afraid to be seen with your vice president then join the other party.”

As cynical as it is, though, politics is about winning, and this version of Charlie Baker is the one who can win. He’s already proven it once. This is as good as it gets. He is either a moderate Democrat or invertebrate Republican, but he is also the elected governor of the commonwealth.

Conservatives must manage their expectations and come to terms with the fact that in the hyperpartisan environment of Massachusetts, and certainly in the age of Trump, traditional party protocol is going to be contorted to avoid scrutiny.

The space within which Charlie Baker can operate and still avoid political toxicity is miniscule.

It should not be this way. As the chief executive of the commonwealth, Gov. Baker should be free to greet the vice president of the United States without being torn asunder from every corner.

That is the reality though, and as Charlie Baker embarks on his re-election campaign, expect his calendar to be full of “stuff” a lot.