April 1, 2008 Longtime Bay State Republican turns Obamacan Play video

(NECN) - As Barack Obama campaigns around the country, he shows particular strength among young people, African-Americans, and liberal Democrats. So it's interesting to meet one of Obama's newest Bay State supporters -- he is 69-years-old, white and Republican.

NECN’s Alison King has the story.

Script:

Tom Trimarco: “I became actively involved in the Republican Party here in Massachusetts in the late sixties.”

In Massachusetts politics, Tom Trimarco is most recently associated with the Romney administration, where he served as Secretary of Administration and Finance during Governor Mitt Romney’s fourth and last year in office. Trimarco also served as Deputy Treasurer under Republican Treasurer Joe Malone, and he was even the Republican candidate for Congress back in 1980 and ‘82 -- losing to Democrat Nick Mavroules. Last year, when Mitt Romney announced he was running for president, Trimarco was right on board.

Trimarco: “He's so smart... I work for a lot of smart people...Governor Romney is by far the smartest person I’ve ever worked with and for.”

“I went up to New Hampshire four days before the primary, did some door-to-door and phone calling.”

King: “So, Super Tuesday comes and goes, Governor Romney drops out of the race, you are now a man without a candidate.”

Trimarco: “That is correct.”

Trimarco: “The obvious person was to go with McCain. Yes. But the Iraq War is a big issue

with me. I never talked about the Iraq War with Governor Romney, wasn't part of our...we were worrying about the finances of the Commonwealth, health care bill, budgets, capital plans, we're not worrying about Iraq. But in a private capacity, Iraq has been so troubling to me.”

So, Trimarco found himself turning to a candidate he never imagined he would have connected with.

“Somebody recommended that I read Barack Obama's book, ‘Dreams From My Father.’ So I went out, bought it and read it and it read like a novel. It was a fascinating story, I was engrossed by it and I was so tremendously impressed by the author.”

Trimarco is now an official Obamacan - as Republicans for Obama are called.

King: “You know what the Republican National Committee is quick to come out and say -- that Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate.”

Trimarco: “I can't justify this on philosophical grounds. I'm clearly right of center….and I understand there are going to be many issues that I’ll disagree with him about...But his commitment to change the direction in Iraq and his avowed commitment to change the way we speak to each other and to stop playing out of Karl Rove's playbook. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton play out of Karl Rove's playbook. They differ on policies, I’m not saying they have the same policies, but political philosophies, it's the same. You have a political enemy, knee cap him, and destroy him. Say whatever it is, tear him down.”

King: “Now, John McCain promises a new kind of politics.”

Trimarco: “Yup, and I honestly believe that John McCain will do his best to bring a new style of politics, but that base of his, you see, he opposed the Bush tax cuts -- why is he supporting them. He has to appeal to that base, I mean he's taking any number of positions just to satisfy that base.”

This has not been an easy decision for Trimarco who, 40-years-ago, as a recent law school graduate, went to work in Washington D.C. for John Volpe -- a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, who was Transportation Secretary in the Nixon administration. Ironically, Mitt Romney’s father, George -- a good friend of Volpe's was serving as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development -- and Trimarco had a front row seat to those turbulent years of political history.

Trimarco: “They both hated the palace guard around Richard Nixon. They had a great regard and respect for Nixon but they really -- Haldemann and Erlichman, when they would see either Romney or Volpe coming they would cringe...It was really very interesting.

Trimarco considers himself a moderate Republican -- and he has been deeply troubled by the hard right turn he feels many in the GOP have taken.

Trimarco: “I was a Volpe Republican, I was an Eliot Richardson, Ed Brooke Republican. These people were heroes to me...Frank Sargent, I mean these were great statesmen, good politicians they were good public servants and it was so easy for me.”

King: “What kind of reception has this gotten from your Republican friends?”

Trimarco: “Mixed. Very mixed. I mean, you know, when you get involved in politics, it is a team sport. And, I know a lot of my friends can't believe I’m abandoning the team -- or - I’m leaving the team and it's sort of this blind loyalty that you must have.”

Trimarco says he is not abandoning the Republican Party -- just supporting the candidate who he feels is the best man for the job.