The most popular politician in Massachusetts is not liberal darling Elizabeth Warren, but rather the state's new Republican governor, Charlie Baker,
the National Journal reports.
His popularity and favorability are at a level that would draw envy from any elected official, even after only four months on the job, where advisers say the key to his success is simply his deep focus on his job.
A poll taken in mid-April by Suffolk University showed Baker, 58, with a 70 percent approval rating. His favorability in the same survey was at 74 percent.
"Charlie Baker has had a near-perfect 100-day start with very few early mistakes," David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said in a statement announcing his latest poll's results.
"During that time, record-breaking snowfall has been converted to record-breaking poll numbers as Baker's leadership during the crisis has voters of all parties giving him high marks. Unless he keeps up this amazing pace, probability says that from this point on his numbers can only go in one direction and will settle down at some point."
The pollsters noted Baker's popularity in the largely Democratic Massachusetts had deeply eclipsed that of his predecessor, Deval Patrick, who held the approval of just 42 percent of state residents along with a favorability rating of 53 percent at the same time period as governor in April 2007.
Baker, a Harvard grad, worked in government for eight years before leaving to head the nonprofit Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. He had previously run unsuccessfully for governor in 2010. He defeated Martha Coakley in November.
Noted National Journal of his popularity: "Virtually the only other governors to notch ratings this high in recent years have been Democrats in deep-blue states or Republicans in deep-red states. Recent polling in conservative Utah and Mississippi, for example, show those governors to be roughly as popular as Baker. But given that Democrats outnumber Republicans around 3-1 in Massachusetts, the comparison hardly seems valid."
Other observers say while Baker is now riding high after his first 100 days on the job, his popularity should fall off amid his handling of issues facing the state, The Boston Globe reported.
Democratic pollster Mark S. Mellman told the Globe that Baker's numbers
"are artificially high and should be hurtling down toward earth any month now." But he added, Baker at this point is "certainly one of the most popular governors in the country."
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