The Globe poll also shows Charlie Baker with rising
negatives, likely a result of being attacked by both Patrick and
independent candidate Tim Cahill. Baker has run as an aggressive
social liberal in the mold of Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci, while
Cahill at least made feints to social conservatives as Mitt Romney
and Scott Brown did. But Cahill is now running at 8 percent —
still potentially enough to let Patrick squeak by, though
perilously close to rock bottom. The signs point to a better than
usual election for Republicans even in Massachusetts, yet one never
goes broke by betting against the Bay State GOP.