That was our hopeful naivete .. Brown’s patina has long
since turned to scratched, stained, cracked, dirty and useless. He’s an old fashioned New England, faux moderate political opportunist.
I'm not sure why I always feel the need to defend the New England *I* grew up in...but I do. I grew up in a small seaside town in New England and everyone was a hardcore conservative/libertarian although there weren't any labels. No one trusted the government with the exception of our token liberal who spent a lot of time whining about the sandpiper's natural habitat.
People just lived their lives, helping others if needed, minding their own business otherwise and there was a lot of freedom and very, very little fear. In fact- the only times I remember being a tiny bit afraid was during really bad nor'easters when the power was out for a couple of days, and that was more excitement than fear.
Those people would spin in their graves at what New England has become.