Watch CBS News

Keller @ Large: How Gov. Charlie Baker's Approval Rating Remains High Despite COVID Challenges

BOSTON (CBS) – It is an understatement to say there have been plenty of local headlines on the Massachusetts political scene in 2020.

WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller was joined by State House News reporters Katie Lannan and Matt Murphy to look back at major news stories from the year, including Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's response to the coronavirus pandemic and the state's push for police reform.

Keller asked how Baker still has an approval rating of around 70% in the state, despite pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike on various decisions he has made.

"We really are treading in uncharted waters here. No one knows what to expect of a governor during a pandemic. A lot of people would not want to be in his shoes and know it's a tough set of decisions to make," Lannan said.

Murphy said Baker's decisions early in the pandemic set the tone.

"Early in the pandemic, when people were scared, people were frightened, the governor did a good job getting in front of it, getting on camera virtually every day updating people, telling them what to expect, what he was doing, how he was managing it," said Murphy. "He came across as someone empathetic and someone who understood this was uncharted territory for a lot of people, that people we anxious and that he was doing his best."

Keller @ Large: Part 2

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.