Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

Many in Massachusetts happy to see Romney Go

From a story in the Salt Lake Tribune
January 2007

Four years after taking office as Massachusetts governor, Romney leaves his post with a high disapproval rating. Critical Bay Staters contend now that Romney always had his eye on the White House and used Massachusetts as a pad from which to launch his campaign.

“You can have him back in Salt Lake,” lifelong resident Roberta Kilduff said on a recent chilly morning in downtown Boston. “Have another Olympics.”

“He was basically never here,” says Kilduff, a Republican who says she was annoyed when Romney poked fun at Massachusetts and also when he swooped in to take over the Big Dig project after a woman was killed in a tunnel accident.

“I don't think anyone should be micromanaging when they’re not here.”

A Nov. 17 poll by Survey USA and WBZ-TV found that 65 percent of residents disapproved of Romney's performance, a figure that dropped to 59 percent a month later in Romney's waning days in office. The Globe and WBZ reported 54 percent of those surveyed in October viewed Romney's performance as unfavorable.

“Within Massachusetts the enthusiasm about Romney is not as high as it is in some parts of the country for his [potential presidential] candidacy,” says Julian Zelizer, a historian and professor at Boston University. Romney's stature diminished over time as many residents saw their governor focusing more on his own agenda and not the state's, Zelizer says.

“Any sitting governor who is running for president is going to face that,” he says. “That's the nature of our political system. There is pretty much no way he could avoid this criticism.”

Even more difficult for Romney was his need to finesse and show his conservative credentials as he courted Republicans for support in his potential bid. Romney took hard stands against gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research and abortion. The positions eroded Romney's reputation among voters in the blue state of Massachusetts.

“He was a big disappointment for the state,” says John Henry, taking a lunch break near historic Faneuil Hall. “He didn't do anything on all those hopes and promises he made. . . . You elect him and you expect him to take care of the state.”

Some Bostonians randomly asked about Romney simply scoffed. One dubbed him the "“invisible governor” while another called him an “absentee governor.”