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By BOB SALSBERG/Associated Press/March 21, 2014

BOSTON (AP) About the only major unanswered question facing Massachusetts Republicans at their partys state convention is whether Charlie Baker, the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nominee who is making a second run for the job, will enjoy a clear path to the nomination or first face a primary test from a more conservative challenger.

Baker is expected to easily win his partys endorsement on Saturday. But Mark Fisher, a business owner and tea party member, needs the support of only 15 percent of the delegates to qualify for the September Republican primary ballot. Anything less for Fisher would leave Baker unopposed in the primary and make him the partys de facto nominee.

Many moderate Republicans who back Baker are hoping for the latter scenario. They believe future success hinges, in part, on assuring independent voters, who make up a majority of the states electorate, that the Massachusetts party does not fully embrace the national Republican platform, particularly when it comes to social issues like gay marriage and abortion.

A clear-cut convention victory by Baker shows the party finally understands that moderate candidates win and extreme candidates lose, said Gene Hartigan, a consultant and former director of the state party.

Republicans currently hold no statewide offices, no seats in the congressional delegation and are outnumbered more than 5-1 in the Legislature.

Last month, the 80-member Republican State Committee adopted a platform that included more socially conservative language on abortion and gay marriage, prompting criticism not only from Democrats but moderate Republicans.

Richard Tisei, Bakers running mate four years ago, announced this week that he planned to skip the convention because of the platform adopted by the committee. Tisei, who is gay and married, is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. John Tierney in the states 6th congressional district after narrowly losing to Tierney in 2012.

Baker and state GOP chairwoman Kirsten Hughes were among Republicans who distanced themselves from the platform.

Charlies position is clear on those issues, said Bakers spokesman, Tim Buckley. He and (Tisei) share the same position on support of marriage equality and abortion rights.

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Mass. Republicans gather for party convention

The Minimum Wage Creates Unemployment: A message to progressives
An in depth criticism of an article published on the leftist website, Center for American Progress, dispelling the notion that the minimum wage will save tax...

By: LibertarianUniverse

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The Minimum Wage Creates Unemployment: A message to progressives - Video

Progressives Launching Bus Tour To Promote Minimum Wage Hike
Former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker on the push to raise the minimum wage. Fox Business: Cavuto http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/cavuto/index.html ...

By: yazchat

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Progressives Launching Bus Tour To Promote Minimum Wage Hike - Video

Will Hodgman Election Night Speech
Liberal Leader Will Hodgman #39;s speech on election night, 15th March 2014.

By: Tasmanian Liberals

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Will Hodgman Election Night Speech - Video

The slogan, as Ontario Liberals gather this weekend in downtown Toronto for their annual general meeting, is What leadership is.

If they were honest with themselves, and each other, they might go instead with Lowered expectations.

From a brief, near-euphoric high after Kathleen Wynne took office last year, the governing party has come down a long way. Just how far is apparent both from the way the rookie Premiers pitch to her province has changed, and from what the Liberals are hoping their new message will achieve.

No longer is Ms. Wynne trying to sell herself as new and exciting, a different sort of politician willing to stake out bold policy positions to advance her values and vision. As laid out in a speech on Thursday night at her partys biggest yearly fundraiser, she is now making a case for remaining in office that is strikingly similar to the argument made in the last provincial election by Dalton McGuinty the predecessor from whom the new Premier not long ago seemed to seek a clean break.

Not once, not twice, but four times, Ms. Wynne referred to her safe hands. They are needed, she said, because its a turbulent word out there, and Ontario must stick with a careful, steady balance that allows slow but steady progress; it cannot afford the risky, radical approach of the Progressive Conservatives, or the risky indecision of the NDP.

The most obvious casualty of Ms. Wynnes new-found contempt for risks is her first big commitment after replacing Mr. McGuinty. This month, she announced she will not proceed with new gasoline, sales or personal taxes to fund expansion of Ontarios transportation infrastructure the policy with which she tried to establish her willingness to level with voters about the sacrifices needed to meet their collective needs.

But to listen to Ms. Wynnes speech this week was to detect a subtler climb-down as well.

During the leadership race, and shortly after winning it, Ms. Wynne spoke like the activist she has spent much of her life being arguing for social justice or a fair society. Those words may have rubbed some people the wrong way, but they were true to her roots.

While she delivered her text competently on Thursday, nobody would believe it came from her heart. From the attacks on the other parties to the touting of a six-point economic plan with repeated references to corporate subsidies to create jobs, it sounded like a checklist of items Ms. Wynnes advisers believe play well with key vote groups up to and including the pitch for a provincial public-pension plan that has replaced transit taxes as her signature policy.

None of this is meant to appeal to the province as a whole, or even to increase the Liberals support much.

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Liberals new message signals lowered expectations