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Republican Rising in MA Governor's Race

By W. James Antle, III on 6.28.10 @ 2:20PM

In the latest Boston Globe poll, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is still ahead but with an unimpressive 38 percent of the vote. At 31 percent, Republican Charlie Baker is nipping at Patrick's heels. Democrat-turned-independent Tim Cahill lags well behind at 9 percent, only running ahead of perenial Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

While Patrick has gained ground in recent months, these results have to be at least somewhat encouraging to voters who want him unseated. The concern was that Baker and Cahill would split the center-right vote, which even in Massachusetts can be large enough to win at the ballot box (think Scott Brown), allowing Patrick to win a plurality. This scenario seemed to be playing out during the spring, when Baker and Cahill were mostly attacking each other and Patrick was gaining high marks for his handling of local issues like the water main break and flooding in Massachusetts communities. One poll had Patrick at 45 percent with neither Cahill nor Baker in striking distance.

But there was always an alternative scenario: That Patrick's underlying unpopularity would come back to bite him and the voters would settle on one of the other two contenderes as their anti-Patrick candidate. Cahill had an opening to become that candidate when he actually led Baker in January. Since then Baker -- with a little help from the Republican Govenrors Association -- has made major inroads toward becoming that candidate.

View all comments (5) | Leave a comment

Red Phillips| 6.28.10 @ 2:37PM

I believe Cahill is more conservative than Baker. Is that accurate?

W. James Antle III| 6.28.10 @ 6:04PM

Cahill is running to Baker's right -- not that this would be exceptionally difficult -- but conservatives are divided over how much they trust him, partly because he is a former Democrat and partly because this is the first time he's been particularly outspoken about his conservatism.

Derek Leaberry| 6.28.10 @ 3:35PM

Baker is Henry Cabot Lodge brought up to date, supporting abortion and homosexuality. Not worth voting for. Let Queer Staters baste in their own pudding. Let the Devil, Deval Patrick, lay waste to Massachusetts for another four years.

Richard Baker| 6.29.10 @ 7:47AM

You know, considering the absolute buffoons that the electorate in Mass vote for, for the most part, where is the vaunted superiority of these folks coming from? Self-esteem classes?

Tom near Boston| 6.29.10 @ 1:55PM

Cahill was a political science major at Boston University, and so has blown with the winds. Around here, that mostly means posing as a blue-collar Democrat . That translates into voting with the moonbat lefties while remaining silent about gay marriage, which would fail here as it has everywhere else if the rusting faux-working stiff / moonbat coalition ever let it come to a vote. Not gonna happen. If Cahill ever got in, he would never let the moonbats get mad at him. Baker is an elitist, competent enough to understand that market forces work, but gutless enough to toe the "inclusive" line, even picking a gay running mate. (Hey Derek, your Cabot Lodge comparison is stupid. He's Bill Weld.) Regular Americans who happen to live here will vote for Baker holding our noses.
Oh, by the way Derek -- check out our next Congressman from the 10th district, Jeff Perry. Outspoken social, economic law and order conservative. Thanks for your support.