The MBTA’s Orange Line is back up and running after a disruptive 30-day shutdown — and if the past is any indication, Gov. Charlie Baker won't pay any political price whatsoever. That’s despite the fact the meltdown that brought the system to the brink of a federal takeover occurred on his watch.
So what is it about Baker that yields consistently high approval numbers from Massachusetts voters, even when big things go really wrong? Talking Politics host Adam Reilly is joined by Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe and Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner to unpack Baker’s untouchability — and the similar dynamic that’s developed with the Massachusetts Legislature, whose members tend to coast to reelection despite the body’s proclivity for procrastination and unfinished to-do lists.
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Steph Solis of Axios Boston and Peter Kadzis of GBH News also weigh in on some of the major political news of the week, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl's dalliance with election denialism, Baker's delicate dance on immigration and the efficacy of the climate protests that shut down multiple locations in Boston.
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