McCormick Promises Jobs Podcast
“I’ve never accomplished anything in my life by taking the easy roads,” Jeff McCormick said. “I never had access to the easy road.”
As an independent candidate for MA governor, he knows he’s on a tough one. We spoke today a lot about what he wanted to do if he wins and a bit about he he expects to do that.
I opened by drawing a contrast with another MA venture capitalist, Willard Mitt Romney. Like him, McCormick has earned piles and has lots (dare we say binders) of successful companies he can cite that he helped fund. Unlike Romney, McCormick actually is self-made, coming from a blue-collar home in upstate NY, without a rich, powerful, politically and corporate connected father. In that vein, McCormick is good at brief descriptions. When asked about his campaigning, he said because of his background, “I’m really comfortable in diners, much more than in ballrooms.”
He wants voters to think of him as Jeff for Jobs. He cites his VC successes and his ideas of how to create tens of thousands here. Listen in as he describes how education and training will prepare the workforce. He also is keen on helping gateway cities outside the Boston and Worcester areas.
You can hear the VC background as he speaks of changing the culture of Beacon Hill to one of problem solving. Here he points to US Sen. from ME Angus King as a model. McCormick said that when people see you are solving problems, they want to join you and that’s an easier way to govern. McCormick ways he’d bring his work style over. “I’m part of the team. No one is voting for a CEO here.”