Charlie Baker already looks comfortable as the Governor-elect, but just a week ago watching election returns he wasn’t sure he’d win
AH: On election night, did you ever think you were losing?
CB: Sure.
AH: Did you have a concession speech?
CB: We thought we were in pretty good shape, we thought we had a great chance to win, but yeah, we had two speeches.
If you want a preview of how Baker may govern, look back to the 1990’s, when Bill Weld was governor.
AH: Your mentor is Bill Weld.
CB: Yup.
AH: You call him Boss?
CB: I do.
But Bill Weld quit the governor’s office, to try and become Ambassador to Mexico, and Weld isn’t remembered as the hardest working governor.
AH: So my question is do you pledge to fill out your term and do you promise to work a little bit harder than he did?
CB: First of all, I certainly pledge to serve out my term, but I will also say that Governor Weld worked very hard as governor, I think the idea that somehow he didn’t is a little bit of a mythology.
AH: So you’ll work as hard as he did?
CB: Harder probably, yeah.
AH: Conceding the point.
CB: I’m not conceding anything. I work hard.
Finally, I had to ask about those tears in the last debate:
CB: I’m never going to cry again Andy. Big lesson learned; don’t ever cry.
AH: Do you think that Beacon Hill doesn’t have the potential to bring you to tears?
CB: I am so looking forward to working with folks up there and getting stuff done on behalf of the people of Massachusetts, and I absolutely believe we can do that without bringing ourselves to tears.
AH: For the four years?
CB: Absolutely.
Charlie Baker has wanted to be governor for more than twenty years.
He’s very smart and he knows how state government operates.
His challenge is to make it work, and he has a chance.