# What gives with Massachusetts?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gives-with-massachusetts/757101>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 11, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gives-with-massachusetts/757101 "2016-06-11T13:01:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gives-with-massachusetts/757101/21 "2016-06-15T06:57:10Z")

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Here in Minnesota, we have some areas where people want to consider themself ‘Independent’, not belonging to any political party. Which leads them to dislike voting for candidates from the same party all down the ticket.

So in recent years, when the Republican candidate for President was so bad that they were going to vote for the Democrat, and local races where they know their legislator they were supporting the Democrat, then for Congress they would vote for the Republican candidate. Just so they wouldn’t vote for all Democrats.

Maybe something similar happens in Massachusetts?

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**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gives-with-massachusetts/757101/22 "2016-06-15T16:13:31Z")

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> [@Yllaria](#):
>
> California is rumored to have a habit of electing governors that are of the opposite party to the majority of the state legislature - so they can keep an eye on each other. I haven’t checked out the history of it, so it might not really apply to more than a few years. And it definitely doesn’t apply now. But that’s one possible motive for splitting parties. Basic distrust of politicians with power.

I wish Democratic voters would stop that. When we’ve had Republican governors and legislatures, the budget is boggle down, and the state always seems to be in a crisis. Since the 2011, we’ve had Jerry Brown and I think for a while a supermajority of Dems in the state legislature and the state has never been better. Budgets have been balanced, rolling blackouts have been reduced, our parks have been protected, and green energy has been promoted. We don’t need or want any Republicans in California, the Democrats govern just fine.

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