What if he also arrested and tortured political opponents and those who spoke out against him?

Human Rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have detailed how Bashar's government and secret police routinely tortured, imprisoned, and killed political opponents, and those who speak out against the government. Since 2006 it expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents. In that regard, Syria is the worst offender among Arab states.

"During its decades of rule... the Assad family developed a strong political safety net by firmly integrating the military into the government. In 1970, Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father, seized power after rising through the ranks of the Syrian armed forces, during which time he established a network of loyal Alawites by installing them in key posts. In fact, the military, ruling elite, and ruthless secret police are so intertwined that it is now impossible to separate the Assad government from the security establishment.... So... the government and its loyal forces have been able to deter all but the most resolute and fearless oppositional activists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashar_al-Assad

Amnesty International Documents Torture Inside Syria on a Scale Not Seen for Decades

(New York) -- Individuals caught up in the massive wave of arrests during the Syrian uprising are being tortured on a scale not seen inside Syria for decades, Amnesty International reported today, based on interviews with victims and eyewitnesses who escaped to Jordan.

The scale of torture and other ill-treatment in Syria is reminiscent of the dark era of the 1970s and 1980s under President Hafez al-Assad, the father of the current president.

Amnesty International said that the testimonies of torture survivors presented yet more evidence of crimes against humanity being committed by the Syrian government under President Bashar al-Assad.

In its report released the day before the one-year anniversary of the start of mass protests in Syria, the human rights organization said individuals arrested and detained for being involved in the protests described a set pattern of torture which began with severe beatings upon arrest.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/amnesty-international-documents-torture-inside-syria-on-a-scale-not-seen-for-decades

There has never been a dictator who did not use his secret police to arrest, imprison and often torture his political opponents and those who speak out too publicly. Dictators do not stay on power with the consent of the governed but through fear and repression.

Assad may be no worse than some dictators - his father, the Shah of Iran and the latest North Korean family dictator come to mind - but no one believes that he only arrests, tortures and often kills just jihadists. Well, I shouldn't say that no one believes that. But very few believe it and Amnesty International is definitely not one of them.[/ i]

The Massachusetts legislature was 85% Democratic at the time.