Looking at the resume of Robert K. Massie, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, it's hard to avoid noting one thing.

The man has a lot of degrees. Besides a bachelor's degree, he holds a master's in divinity from Yale and a doctorate from Harvard Business School.

It is this diversity of education and interests, encompassing both the health of business and the value of community embodied in his ministry, that Massie pitches to voters.

He believes strongly in supporting small business, he says, while endorsing universal health care, environmental protection and education.

The candidate, a chubby version of Vice President Al Gore '69, is a Somerville resident and Episcopal priest who has never before held political office. He is a Luce fellow in religion and public policy at the Divinity school, a self-described teacher and administrator.

Massie is running because he "believes that [he] brings special skills and attributes to the [post of] Lieutenant Governor," he says. His status as a political outsider frees him from special interests and provides a "breath of fresh air," according to his campaign literature.

But Massie is running not just on his own attributes, but perhaps even more on his opposition to the stances of present Governor William F. Weld '66. Massie is succinct in his views on the Weld governorship.

"The overriding question in this election is that this is a referendum on Weld's tenure," Massie says. "I believe that he has failed Massachusetts severely."

Massie says Weld has not addressed several social and economic concerns,including the need Massie sees for a broad-basedeconomic policy favoring small businesses,education reform and guaranteed health care.

Both the health of small businesses andeducational reform rely on improvement in thehealth care system, he says.

"You can't support small businesses unlesspeople get insurance," Massie says. "You can'tpull down education costs [either]."

He also wishes to help smaller firms withexpanded credit opportunities, but as of yetoffers no specific initiatives to improve thestate's education system.

Massie also says Weld is not willing to work toreduce poverty.

"What I object to is the governor's sense thatthis is the best we can do," he says. "I think wecan take another crack to do better."

Though he has not yet offered specificsuggestions on the issue, Massie also advocatesstrong environmental regulations, saying thatpeople today are responsible for keepingMassachusetts clean.

"Environmental degradation is a betrayal ofwhat we have been given and what we are to handon," Massie says.