(Massachusetts) governor testing national waters, possible successors eyed

[justy387]

Source: Boston Globe

Governor Mitt Romney's political trips out of state are forcing Republicans in Massachusetts to privately contemplate the prospect that he will not run for reelection so he can focus on a presidential bid, leaving the 2006 GOP gubernatorial nomination up for grabs.

Even as Romney continued to say he planned to run for re-election next year, Republican strategists floated names of would-be GOP candidates for governor last week. Two of those -- Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey and Charles D. Baker, chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care -- are considered almost certain to jump into a campaign if Romney steps aside.

Healey, on the other hand, remains on the list of many strategists. She already has $562,000 in her political account and will have well over $1 million by the end of the year, aides say. In what could be a more decisive advantage over Baker, Healey also has access to personal funds that could add several million dollars more to her campaign.

Baker, although making $950,000 a year as Harvard Pilgrim's chief executive, has not accumulated a fortune that he can use to finance a campaign. Republicans point out another disadvantage: While Healey can continue to raise money as a lieutenant governor candidate without seeming disloyal to Romney, Baker cannot set up a campaign finance operation unless he would appear to be impatient for Romney to step aside.

[Emboldened Chimp]

1. Good, Mass will lose their governor as his presidential abmitions...

go down in flames.

[parsifal_e]

2. How can Massachusetts.......

the most liberal state in the union ever has elected a republican ?

[sidpleasant]

3. It happened because ...

... the Democrats ran a somewhat lackluster candidate (state treasurer Shannon O'Brien) who had only 1/3 as much money as the GOP poured into Romney's campaign. Romney campaigned as an outsider who would fight the notorious machine politics of the MA legislature which was ruled by a dictatorial and widely disliked Speaker. Romney also played the GOP's trad "I'll miraculously lower your taxes without cutting any services" card which appealed to the middle class in the suburbs.

[Gloria]

5. OK, so did he deliver on any of his promises? Are his poll nos. still

pretty high??

[sidpleasant]

6. Unfortunately, yes

A Boston Globe poll a few weeks ago found that 62% of MA residents have a favorable opion of Romney. On the other hand, 49% said "it's time for a change" and only 43% thought he should be reelected. Romney is tied with the most likely Dem candidate, current AG Tom Reilly. In the same poll voters were weirdly schizophrenic about the state budget. A majority support Romney's pledge not to raise taxes, but a majority also said that legislators should choose raising taxes over cutting state programs.

Romney hasn't been a thoroughly awful governor like Schwartzenegger. He's constrained by a legislature completely dominated by Dems. He's been helped by MA's relatively good economy so he hasn't had to make huge cuts in services. On the other hand Romney is starting to position himself as a conservative for his GOP presidential primary run which may not play well here. He's opposed to stem cell research in a state with a big biotech industry and a number of research / teaching hospitals, for example. Romney has advocated civil unions as an alternative to gay marriage, a stand that isn't likely to play well in red states. It'll be entertaining to watch him try to transform himself into a typical GOP right wing extremist for his presidential run without alienating the citizens of MA.

[paineinthearse]

4. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr