Around New England

Charlie Baker One of World’s Greatest Leaders, Magazine Says

April 24, 2019

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is the 20th greatest leader in the world, Fortune Magazine says.

He came in two spots below “The Pink Wave,” which refers to 42 women newly elected to Congress in November 2018.

Baker is the only U.S. governor to make the list.

Here’s why he’s on it:

“Baker’s approval ratings routinely land near 70%, a remarkable feat for a Republican leading a famously liberal state. He’s earned that favor with a quiet bipartisanship that feels almost foreign these days. A data-driven fixer — he previously led the turnaround of a health insurer — Baker has been effective in addressing the state’s opioid woes and issues with social services; he also signed a green energy bill last year.”

The list has a decidedly green tilt. One example: Number 6 is Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old student activist from Sweden who has staged one-girl sit-ins over climate change while skipping school on Fridays (“I don’t want your hope. … I want you to panic”).

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVey also made the list, at 17. His team made the Super Bowl this past February. Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots who won their sixth Super Bowl this past February under his leadership, didn’t.

Number 1 on the list are Bill and Melinda Gates, mostly for their efforts fighting diseases in Africa.

Number 2 is Jacinda Ardern, the left-wing prime minister of New Zealand who moved to ban semi-automatic guns (“near-unanimous support”) after a mass-shooting in March.

Number 3 is Robert Mueller (“nobly impartial”), who recently concluded his two-year investigation of President Donald Trump.

A spokesman for Governor Baker could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.


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