>> FAVORABILITY, JOB APPROVAL AND NAME RECOGNITION ARE AMONG
THE THINGS A GROUP OF 500 LIKELY VOTERS WERE ASKED ABOUT FOR A
NEW BOSTON GLOBE SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY POLL RELEASED LATE
LAST WEEK.
68 PERCENT OF THOSE POLLED SAID MASSACHUSETTS WAS HEADING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
WHO SHOULD GET CREDIT FOR THAT?
THEY SAID GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER, FOLLOWED BY THE ECONOMY,
AND THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
THAT'S WHAT I ASKED DEMOCRAT AND
POLITICAL CONSULTANT RYAN MCCOLLUM AND KENCY GILET,
CHAIRMAN OF SPRINGFIELD'S REPUBLICAN CITY COMMITTEE.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT GOES RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING
AND GOVERNOR BAKER IS RUNNING ON THE ECONOMY BECAUSE HE'S HAD SO
MUCH SUCCESS.
THE FACT THAT THE ECONOMY IS DOING WELL OVERALL NATIONWIDE, I
THINK, THAT ALSO ADDS TO -- ADDS TO A LARGER PICTURE THAT BAKER
IS USING THE POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE IN THE NATIONWIDE ECONOMY TO
MAKE SURE TO GIN UP BUSINESS HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND HE HAS
A RIGHT AT THAT CAMPAIGN ON IT BECAUSE HE SHOULD TAKE CREDIT TO
IT.
>> SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY NO, THEY DON'T THINK MASSACHUSETTS IS
DOING WELL THEY BLAME THE LEGISLATURE 38%.
AND THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THEN GOVERNOR BAKER.
ARE YOU SURPRISED THE LEGISLATURE TO MAKE THE TOP OF
THE PILE.
>> IT'S PART OF THE PAR FOR THE COURSE EVERYBODY DISLIKES THEIR
SENATOR -- >> SO YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS
PUTTING -- ELECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES ON NOTICE?
>> NOT NECESSARILY.
THE INCUMBENCY RATE OF PEOPLE WHO GETS RE-ELECTED IS SO HIGH.
SO YOU HATE THE LEGISLATURE AS A WHOLE.
YOU MIGHT HATE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP BUT YOUR GUY OR YOUR
GAL YOU LIKE 'CAUSE YOU VOTED FOR THEM.
>> YES. >> AND I THINK THAT'S THE SAME
WITH CONGRESS.
CONGRESS HAS VERY LOW APPROVAL RATINGS, BUT THE SAME PEOPLE
KEEP GETTING RE-ELECTED BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE THEIR CONGRESSMAN
AND THEY LIKE THEIR SENATOR.
>> LET'S LOOK AT APPROVAL RATINGS THIS POLL DID THAT FOR A
COUPLE OF KEY OFFICIALS.
NO SURPRISE THEY ASKED PRESIDENT TRUMP
APPROVE/DISAPPROVE.
73% HERE OF MASSACHUSETTS OF THE 500 OR SO PEOPLE POLLED SAID
THEY DISAPPROVE.
22% APPROVE.
SUR ?
HERE WE ARE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> NO SURPRISE.
IT LINES UP WITH THE BREAKDOWN, YOU KNOW, THE STATE IS VERY
DEMOCRATIC-HEAVY AND I THINK -- I THINK IT WAS PRETTY
CLOSE TO THE PARTY LINES IN TERMS OF APPROVAL RATINGS FOR
DONALD TRUMP SO NO SURPRISE FRF.
>> IT TELLS US WHAT WE KNOW KIND OF?
>> YEAH.
>> AND THE OTHER QUESTION THEY LOOKED AT, KEEPING WITH THE
PRESIDENT, SHOULD THE HOUSE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHETHER TO
IMPEACH PRESIDENT TRUMP?
53% CAME OUT SAYING, YES.
>> YEAH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT JUST PROVES THAT DUMP IS A
PRETTY POLARIZING FIGURE, IF YOU DISLIKE DONALD TRUMP YOU DON'T
MIND TALKING ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
THE PEOPLE WHO LIKE HIM, LOVE HIM, AND SO THAT KIND OF IS IN
LINE WITH IT. 50% -- OVER 50% OF THE PEOPLE
THINKING HE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED IS -- IT'S A PRETTY LARGE
NUMBER.
>> I WOULD LOOK WHERE WE ARE IN THIS STATE.
SO AGAIN -- ABOUT 70% DISAPPROVE OF TRUMP BUT ONLY ABOUT A LITTLE
OVER 50 SAID THEY WOULD IMPEACH HIM SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT
OF DEMOCRATS WHO WOULD REALIZE THAT THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR
IMPEACHMENT.
I THINK WE LOOK AT A PRAGMATIC WAY SO I THINK IT TELLS AN
INTERESTING STORY.
>> THE FACT THAT GOVERNOR BAKER DECIDED NOT TO ACCEPT AN
INVITATION TO DEBATE HERE PHYSICALLY IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMEONE INVOLVED FROM WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS ON ONE OF THE DEBATE CONSORTIUMS.
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL HURT HIM AT ALL AMONG REPUBLICANS?
>> I THINK IT'S A NONISSUE BECAUSE EVERYONE -- NO ONE IS
GOING TO BE SITTING IN A STUDIO TO FILL OUT THE BASE.
SO IF THEY'RE WATCHING OUT ON TV IT'S A NONISSUE BUT THOSE WHO DO
NOT LIKE CHARLIE BAKER ON THE FAR RIGHT OR THE FAR LEFT
THEY'LL FIND REASONS TO COMPLAIN -- [TALKING
SIMULTANEOUSLY] >> I'M A DEMOCRAT.
I LIKE CHARLIE BAKER.
I DO THINK IT'S A MISSTEP.
IN WESTERN MASS WE HAVE A COMPLEX WHERE WE THINK WE'RE
IGNORED BY BOSTON A LOT AND I THINK CHOOSING NOT TO COME HERE
AND DEBATE WAS A BIT OF A MISSTEP.
IT WILL HURT.
IT WILL NOT HELP HIM.
>> THE POLL ALSO ASKED IF YOU WOULD VOTE WHO WOULD YOU VOTE
FOR GOVERNOR BAKER 54%.
16% UNDECIDED.
SO EVEN IF ALL THOSE 16% TIPPED TOWARD JAY GONZALES YOU'RE STILL
ONLY AT 44.
THE NUMBERS ARE STILL SUPPORTING CHARLIE BAKER?
>> I DON'T TRUST THOSE NUMBERS TOO MUCH.
>> TELL ME WHY.
>> JUST BECAUSE WE LOOK AT THE POLL WE HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE,
UNDECIDED, CHARLIE BAKER OR GONZALES, I DON'T THINK IT'S
CAPTURING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BLANK A BALLOT AND I'M
SPEAKING OF THE RIGHT AND THEY'RE VERY FIRED UP AND UPSET
ABOUT GOVERNOR BAKER.
THEY WILL BE OUT IN FORCE I THINK WE'LL HAVE A RECORD
TURNOUT FOR THE REPUBLICANS FOR THE SENATE RACE AND THE A.G. AND
SOME ARE CREDITED TO BLANK THE GOVERNOR'S RACE AND I THINK --
>> 'CAUSE WE SAW MORE THAN 30% OF PEOPLE SAY IN THE PRIMARY
THEY'RE SUPPORTING SCOTT -- >> RIGHT.
SO I THINK THAT POLL IS NOT CAPTURING THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO
VOTE BUT NOT VOTE IN THE GOVERNORS BALLOT, SO --
>> WHAT ARE THE TEA LEAVES SAYING FOR YOU FROM THE
DEMOCRATS.
>> I THINK CHARLIE BAKER HAS DEMOCRATS VOTING FOR HIM.
>> AND NOT MANY PEOPLE KNEW WHOA GONZALES WAS ACCORDING TO THIS
POLL.
>> I WORKED WITHA WHEN I WORKED IN GOVERNOR PAPERWORK'S
ADMINISTRATION.
HE'S VERY, VERY SMART, VERY, VERY CAPABLE AND, YOU KNOW, NAME
RECOGNITION IS ONE THING BUT HE'S GOING TO BE A FORMIDABLE
CANDIDATE AND WITH THE TRUMP UNFAVORABLY RATES, IF JAY CAN
HANG AROUND TRUMP'S NECK THAT WILL HURT HIM FOR THAT 50%
VOTING FOR THE GOVERNOR THERE ARE DEMOCRATS WHO ARE TEPIDLY
LOADING FOR THE GOVERNOR.
WHO DON'T WANT -- >> YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD HERE
NO, WHY?
>> I THINK DEMOCRATS WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO HANG TRUMP
AROUND BAKER BECAUSE HE'S DONE TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE
PUBLIC AND POLICIES AND I THINK A MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS IN
STATE KNOW HE IS NOT IN LINE WITH DONALD TRUMP AND THAT WAS A
QUESTION ON THE POLL AND MOST PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT CHARLIE
BAKER IS NOT IN FAVOR OR NOT IN LINE WITH DONALD TRUMP.
>> SURE, AND I THINK THAT'S THE CASE AND I THINK JAY HAS TO MAKE
THE CASE AND SUPPORTING JEFF DEAL WHO IS TRUMP CHARLESTON
MADE THE CASE.
HE SUPPORTS JEFF DEAL WHO SUPPORT EVERYTHING ON
DONALD TRUMP -- >> WE'RE SHORT ON TIME AND I'LL
TALK ABOUT THE QUESTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS ISSUE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OR MISCONDUCT
TO YOU?
68% OF PEOPLE SAID VERY IMPORTANT.
23% SAID SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT.
5%, EH NOT SO SURE, UNDECIDED, AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER -- I
THINK THIS POLL CAME OUT EVEN BEFORE THE BRETT KAVANAGH THING
REALLY HEATED UP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION?
>> I THINK IF IT WAS POLLED TODAY I THINK IT WOULD BE A LOT
HIGHER.
>> WHICH WAY?
>> I THINK MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT SEXUAL
HARASSMENT.
I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION IT'S VERY PREVALENT AND IT'S ONLY NOW
WITH THIS #METOOMOVEMENT THAT'S BECOMING MORE PUBLIC.
I'D WANT TO KNOW THOSE ABOUT WHO SAY IT'S NOT OR UNDECIDED BUT I
THINK IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE AND THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT IT KIND
OF LEADS INTO EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES, IN EVERY SECTOR OF
OUR FIELD.