How exactly are people like Charlie Baker, Larry Hogan, and Mitt Romney Republicans?

[Cyrusman]

Considering how liberal all three of them are I’m  just curious what makes them “republicans” compared to moderate Democrats?

Nothing about any of them comes off as Republican. They all come across more as moderate Democrats

[South Dakota Democrat]

Romney is 100% a Republican and not the least bit liberal.  If you don't know this, you are beyond help.

[Blair]

Thank you for alerting me that I should put you on ignore

[Cyrusman]

Romney is 100% a Republican and not the least bit liberal.  If you don't know this, you are beyond help.

What about Hogan and Baker? What separates them from moderate Democrats?

[voice_of_resistance]

Baker hates taxes, and if MA didn't have a 90% supermajority of Dems in the General Court to deal with, his approval rating would plummet.

[Figueira]

Baker endorsed the far-right candidate running against Warren in 2018, and he ran on climate change skepticism in 2010. I think it's clear that he's very intentionally as conservative as he can get away with being as Governor of Massachusetts, without losing his sky-high approvals. Baker, Hogan (Marylanders, correct me if I'm wrong), and Phil Scott are some of the country's most talented political actors, although they have no hope of winning anything beyond their current offices.

[Nyvin]

None of the three are actually "liberal" in any sense of the word.

[smoltchanov]

None of the three are actually "liberal" in any sense of the word.

"liberal" = "very bold progressive"?

[Sir Mohamed]

Romney a liberal? LOL! The dude is an establishment conservative, who would have done 80% of the same as Trump did as prez: Insane deregulation, repeal of Obamacare, tax cuts for the super rich, Federalist Society judges and assault on women's reproductive rights. Of course, the dude would have been far less corrupt and far less inept on foreign policy than Mr. Trump, and he wouldn't have fought ridiculous Twitter wars. But neither this now his courageous vote to convict Trump make a saint nor a liberal.

Baker and Hogan are center-right, especially on economic issues with some cultural liberalism.

[brucejoel99]

Because they're not liberals lol.. They're Republicans, through & through, supporting a free-market economy with a low-tax environment. Being more socially liberal than the average Republican doesn't make you a Democrat.

[smoltchanov]

Because they're not liberals lol.. They're Republicans, through & through, supporting a free-market economy with a low-tax environment. Being more socially liberal than the average Republican doesn't make you a Democrat.

And - thanks God! Someone must stay reasonable...

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Romney occasionally has a spine (presumably to reinforce his metal frame).

Baker, Hogan and especially Scott are “liberal/moderate republicans” who are fiscally conservative and socially uncertain.


They come across as liberal because they’re in D states. I think all of them except Scott would govern much more conservatively if they could

[RINO Tom]

Like I said last week in another topic ... you cannot trust a poster without an avatar, haha.

Anyway, since this doesn't deserve any type of in-depth response, the only answer the OP should have drilled into his head is this: These people CHOSE TO BE REPUBLICANS, and that quite literally is the most important difference between a "moderate Democrat" and a "moderate Republican."

I picture questions like this coming from high school kids who view "being a Democrat" or "being a Republican" as a label that is bestowed upon you after you complete a cheap online political matrix test rather than something you actively choose for yourself based on some very important and not-so-ideological core beliefs about the world.

[NerdyBohemian]

Massachusetts votes 2:1 against charter schools and defunding public schools in 2016. Baker then tried to use his personally appointed stooge, the education commissioner, to undermine this and try to get more charter schools anyway. Thankfully Massachusetts residents saw through this and created so much pushback that it stopped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried it again.

[ctrepublican512]

it's called nuance

[smoltchanov]

Massachusetts votes 2:1 against charter schools and defunding public schools in 2016. Baker then tried to use his personally appointed stooge, the education commissioner, to undermine this and try to get more charter schools anyway. Thankfully Massachusetts residents saw through this and created so much pushback that it stopped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried it again.

Well, many Democrats support charter schools too

[Xing]

Because not fully fellating embracing Trump does not immediately make one a liberal, just like not every place warmer than Antarctica is tropical.

[Chips]

Mitt Romney is a solid conservative. He opposes Trump as a person but has voted in line with his positions over 80% of the time.

Baker as Figueria said is probably about as conservative as is generally tolerated in MA.

Hogan is interesting.

[smoltchanov]

Mitt Romney is a solid conservative. He opposes Trump as a person but has voted in line with his positions over 80% of the time.

Baker as Figueria said is probably about as conservative as is generally tolerated in MA.

Hogan is interesting.

I have doubts about Baker's "conservatism". He undoubtely has some "fiscal conservative" streak (which i generally approve), but - not much more.

[SevenEleven]

Massachusetts votes 2:1 against charter schools and defunding public schools in 2016. Baker then tried to use his personally appointed stooge, the education commissioner, to undermine this and try to get more charter schools anyway. Thankfully Massachusetts residents saw through this and created so much pushback that it stopped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried it again.

Well, many Democrats support charter schools too

Generally Democrats who support charter schools do not couple it with defunding public schools.

[Chips]

Mitt Romney is a solid conservative. He opposes Trump as a person but has voted in line with his positions over 80% of the time.

Baker as Figueria said is probably about as conservative as is generally tolerated in MA.

Hogan is interesting.

I have doubts about Baker's "conservatism". He undoubtely has some "fiscal conservative" streak (which i generally approve), but - not much more.

Yeah.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Imagine going back to June 2012 and telling people that you see Mitt Romney as a liberal and that he doesn't come off to you as Republican and that he sounds like a moderate Democrat.
Just imagine.

[whale]

In Massachusetts, to become the Democratic nominee for a major office, you usually have to put in time in lower offices.  Businesspeople like Romney and Baker wouldn't become Democratic nominees because they've spent their time in business and there are so many lower office holders who are in line to become the Dem nominee, but if they run as Republicans they can kinda skip the line and become governor directly.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

based

[Adam Griffin]

This question wouldn't have been asked prior to the emergence of Trump. Only now do we seem to think that anybody who's not an avowed white supremacist or comparable apologist belongs in the Democratic Party. #muhwelcometotheresistance