BAKER’S STAR IS RISING
Polling puts gov on 2024 national stage
Charlie Baker appears headed for a historic re-election romp that would immediately catapult him onto the national stage as a leading anti-Trump Republican and possible 2024 presidential hopeful.
Baker could win as much as two-thirds of the vote in one of the country’s bluest states, an impressive feat that’s likely to draw the interest of national pundits and Republicans looking for a centrist leader who can win over Democrats and independents.
The GOP governor has shown little interest in jumping into national politics so far, preferring a stay-at-home approach that emphasizes his attention to local interests on issues ranging from housing to tackling the heroin and fetanyl crisis.
But Baker’s lack of national ambition could be precisely what makes him an attractive figure to voters and others looking for an alternative to Trump and other powerGov. hungry pols like U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Baker has emphasized his bipartisan approach to governing in his TV advertising campaign, which showcases his endorsements from Democratic elected officials. Polls show Baker is almost as popular among Democrats as he is among Republicans.
More importantly, the polls reveal Baker is winning over an astounding 75 percent of independents — the growing voting group that tends to determine most electoral races in Massachusetts and outside the state.
Baker has studiously avoided the word “Republican” in his re-election campaign, a smart strategy in a state where just one in 10 voters is a Republican. The governor has also taken positions that often more closely adhere to the Democratic agenda.
He was one of the few Republicans to publicly oppose the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh — a position that would cause trouble for most Republicans in any state other than Massachusetts.
That position, along with others, could be problematic in a national race where the Republican electorate is much more conservative than in Massachusetts. Baker’s opposition of Trump also puts him in the small minority among Republicans nationwide.
But if Trump loses in 2020, Republicans might be looking for the exact opposite of the blustery businessman. That’s where Baker could enter the national discussion of potential 2024 hopefuls.