Former CMS administrator Don Berwick is running for Governor in Massachusetts. He has an uphill battle in the ever growing primary for the Democratic nominee. Yet his controversial tenure in DC, his pursuit of the Corner Office in the state that birthed RomneyCare (a state that is home to some of the best medical research institutions in the world), and his devoted following on the left — all grant extra weight to his comments on healthcare.

Berwick’s campaign released his platform on healthcare for the Bay State last week. Even with little detail, it served to reinforce many of the charges critics have levied against him for years, mainly that he desires a single-payer system in America. As he distances himself from the “staff-level” dire implementation of his “majestic” ACA, one has to wonder why he would advocate for a government takeover of healthcare at this time.

His proposal should be seen in light of the makeup of Democratic primary voters in the state, and should only serve to open the Pandora’s box that are the policy logistics of a single-payer system being run at a state-level. Any other single-payer conversation is similar to discussing the merits of the shiny outside of a new car without looking under the hood where there is no motor.