Keller @ Large: Gov. Baker Aims For 'Tough On Issues, Soft on People'

BOSTON (CBS) -- Governor Charlie Baker joined Jon Keller in studio just over a week after his nomination for re-election at the Republican State Convention.

While Gov. Baker received about 70% of the vote, a fringe candidate, Scott Lively, got 27% of the vote. Lively, in the past, has made homophobic remarks and currently supports President Trump, who Baker has openly criticized.

"I think that was a statement that was made by seven out of 10 delegates at that convention that our approach to governing, which is admittedly bipartisan and collaborative, was something that they would like to see continue here in Massachusetts. I can't get in the head of why the other folks chose to support a gentleman who has views on a lot of things that don't belong anywhere in public life, or even any life," said Baker.

He added that it seems fringes on both sides have a hard time swallowing the idea of collaboration. "Even though, anybody who has ever spent any time studying the way our government was founded and set up in the first place -- it was designed to be complicated to get things accomplished. The people who put together our Constitution wanted it to be difficult for people to do the work. They didn't want one side or the other to unilateral authority to make decisions."

When Keller told Baker than many delegates voted for Lively to send a message to him, Baker responded with a message of his own. "There are many things in which we agree and I spoke to this at the convention. The Democrats, for the most part, want to raise taxes, we don't. We believe in reform, even if it means taking on special interests on Beacon Hill, many times the other side doesn't."

Baker said he is not trying to hide the fact that he disagrees with some people. Instead, he is trying to be "tough on the issues, soft on the people."

Baker is looking forward to the MGM Casino in Springfield and thinks it will be an economic asset to the city.

In regards to the Wynn casino in Everett, Baker said the state's Gaming Commission is work to find out what people knew and when. "I do appreciate the fact that Wynn stepped down as chairman, he sold all his stock in the company, Mr. Maddox, who's the guy who runs the Massachusetts project, says that they were going to change the name of the casino," he added.

However, when faced with the question of the Commission overall competence, Baker was less specific. He responded with, "I think the answer is going to play out over time...This all happened before I took office. I have no idea how much of what the Commission had available to it at a reasonable standard with respect to what was going on with the Wynn circumstance would have been available to them or not. I don't know. I really don't."