New MA-GOV poll (WBUR): Baker (R) +44

[brooklynite]

PollingReport.com @pollreport

MASSACHUSETTS
Governor:
Charlie Baker (R) 68%
Jay Gonzalez (D) 24%
(MassINC Polling Group/WBUR, LV, 9/17-21/18)

It's worth considering that a lot of Warren voters will be voting for Baker as well.

[C_U_L8R]

1. That's a shame

He’s such a sockpuppet

[NewJeffCT]

2. wow, I knew Baker was popular

but, 44 points ahead in the bluest state in the country is stunning.

Are there any Democrats in the state that actually could challenge Baker? Kennedy? Warren? Kerry?

[Totally Tunsie]

6. Baker is consistently named the most popular governor in the U.S.

According to Politico, Massachusetts is #6 in blue ranks, factoring in DC at #1. (DC also pushes RI to #4.)

https://www.politico.com/gallery/10-bluest-reddest-states?slide=3

[NewJeffCT]

10. how are they getting those numbers

My state of Connecticut at #7 says 51% D and 34% R, but I know Independents are bigger than either.

[Totally Tunsie]

11. Politico used Gallop polls, but I went to Gallop directly and found

the Gallop website shows 2015 data without factoring DC as #1. Here are the results:
[link:https://news.gallup.com/poll/188969/red-states-outnumber-blue-first-time-gallup-tracking.aspx|

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Baker is a Republican anomaly.

He is pretty well liked in the State. I think he gets that this is a very blue state and he has to respect that if he wants to keep the job. Overall, I think he is pretty effective. To be honest, I have seen nothing but Baker ads and nothing on Jay Gonzalez. Fact is, I didn't know who was running for Governor on the Dem slate as there have been no ads on Boston TV networks.

That said, I think Baker has no future in national Republican politics. It would not surprise me. if he does decide to run for House or Senate, that he would switch to Independent. I would also bet he would caucus with the Democrats, too.

[honest.abe]

4. Similar situation here in Maryland.

Popular Repub Gov likely to easily win reelection. Its kind of weird two of most blue states in the country.

[Recursion]

5. I think the MA and MD Governors' races may be out of reach this cycle

It's a shame, but:

1. They'll have Democratic legislatures

2. Governors don't change the national majority/minority

3. As Republicans go, Baker and Hogan are the sane ones, and if this is a carrot to get the GOP to be more like those guys, so much the better.

[pimpbot]

7. Unfortunately there is more at stake

If Hogan wins re-election, he will be in charge of the 2020 redistricting, which could cause MD to lose democratic reps in congress. Couple that with the "dumbing down" of our electorate, we'll be facing more and more extreme republicans after he is gone. Sure Hogan isnt "too bad", but the next guy will take it further, and its a down slide into republican cesspool.

I'm not sure what happened with Ben Jealous. He won the primary, and then none of the MD democratic establishment backed him. He seems to have no funding. He needed to be out front of the Hogan attack ads, instead that was all that played on tv for months.

[grantcart]

8. Frankly I have found Jealous to be less than brilliant on TV over the years.

[Recursion]

9. My hope is MD and VA could do their "bilateral disarmament" deal in 2020

It's an idea that's been tossed back and forth lately, and I'm a fan of it.