My answer to Steve Benen is ‘yes.’ ‘Yes’ the incredible unpopularity of Republican governors will help President Obama’s reelection prospects. These governors are not just a little bit unpopular. They’re unpopular like sexually-transmitted diseases are unpopular. And they will only get more unpopular as they make more progress in attacking regular folks like teachers, nurses, police officers, bureaucrats, poor people, women, blacks, Latinos, and academia. Whatever Yglesias might think he knows from history, these are not ordinary times. The left and center-left and formerly apolitical in Wisconsin are massively engaged at a time in our political cycle when they are normally asleep.
Yes, it hurts to have a Republican governor suppressing votes and naming election officials (see Florida 2000, Ohio 2004). But, overall, I’d rather have Rick Scott in charge of Florida than Alex Sink. I doubt that the Republican nominee will even consent to be seen with Rick Scott. And Nathan Deal, who resigned from Congress in disgrace before winning the Georgia gubernatorial election, is such a goddamned disaster that the crops are rotting in the fields. People hate John Kasich of Ohio. They’ve soured on Corbett here in Pennsylvania. Chris Christie is rapidly out-wearing his welcome.
Meanwhile, people love Andrew Cuomo.
With a weak economy, people might be inclined to blame the president. These governors are the best advertisement for the president that can be imagined. They’re a godsend. People loathe them.
I know Scott will. Obama may be able to “hang” Scott around Mitten’s neck which has to be worse than the Misery Index Mitten’s wanted to “hang around Obama’s neck”. heh
Scott’s new budget lays off 4500 state employees & the notices are going out. At least the prez will get 4500 votes! I’m just appalled they elected this criminal in the first place…..still amazed! Billions of Medicare fraud, but no guilt admitted & a fine. Gahhh
midterm elections are a disaster for Democrats in the normal course of events.
We got killed in 1994, 2002, and 2010.
In 1998 the Republicans overreached with their impeachment and cost themselves a cycle. We basically broke even. And in 2006, people were exhausted of Bush.
But, overall, lower turnout means a good year for Republicans.
By contrast, the Democratic governors who are takling their fiscal problems and/or vetoing Republican shenanigans are going to look like good government. Perdue in NC, Cuomo in NY, Malloy in CT, Patrick in MA, Brown in CA, to name a few who have been tough.
Jerry B. still hasn’t actually gotten a whole lot passed out here, due to the usually GOP intransience (and the California GOP is some of the worst in the country, contrary to what folks from other states might think). But people respect his integrity and unwillingness to engage in any further budget shenanigans. Especially after the Schwarzenegger crapfest.
Rick Scott is further enabled in Florida by the fact that the state GOP has supermajorities in both of the state houses. But, people seem to hate him across the political spectrum.
And of course, one can’t forget the biggest dunderhead of them all, Mr. Walker of the Badger State.
Sorry, but I don’t speak white liberal double standard, so please help me undetstand how Cuomo plus medicaid and education cuts, plus no tax increases on the wealthy, plus property tax caps, plus gay marriage equals “tough” and “progressive”, but Obama plus HCR w/o the public option, plus stimulus spending on education and energy, plus the end of DADT and federal benefits for gay couples equals “spineless” and “traitor”?
One Republican governor to watch out for in the future is our new Nevada governor Brian Sandoval. He’s Hispanic, he’s very handsome and has a beautiful family, he’s likeable by just about everyone. Big change from our last governor.
He even recently signed in to law two LGBT civil rights bills (yes, including the transsexuals even) and didn’t get any shit from the usual right-wingers for doing it. If our Democrat-controlled legislature would only have the guts to consider a marriage equality bill (they don’t, they’re cowards,) I’d be willing to bet that he would HAPPILY sign it into law if it had adequate protections for churches, etc.
He could be presidential material down the road. Watch out for him. He’ll be very hard to beat.
What do you, as a progressive, think of Sandoval? Is he a reasonable guy? Would you ever consider supporting him down the road?
I really don’t know enough yet. During the campaign, I tried really hard to hate him because he’s a Republican, but his competition (Rory Reid, Harry’s son) was such a wimp and a total crook. It was a very difficult time. Now I am glad that the state elected Sandoval by a large margin. And I think he’s got a lot of Dems stumped. We expected him to be an obstructionist but he’s not, really.
Sure he doesn’t want to raise taxes but he might be open to finding some revenue enhancements. He has slightly different ideas on education but he’s not the evil figure that Dems painted him as during the campaign on the education issue. He tried to take some money allocated by voters for school infrastructure upgrades and use it for the general operating budgets of schools, which he was raiding for other purposes, but was stopped by the courts because it was voter-allocated money.
Nevada desperately needs new revenue streams, as they have always counted on gambling profits taxes during boom times. Everyone’s uncomfortable doing an income tax though so we tinker around the edges and try desperately to get through these tough times.
You know, when the Dems passed those two civil rights bills for LGBT employment and housing, they fully expected him to veto them. In fact i think they were counting on it or they might not have even passed them. But no, he was quite happy to sign them. He seems like a good guy.
Interesting, thanks. I don’t know much about him.
which is why I don’t get why complainers on the left don’t understand why the President is pulled back right now. NO, he doesn’t need to get involved in the messes at the state level for the most part, because these GOP Governors are right out of central casting for villains.
I’m delighted with Nathan Deal. I love that the rural wingnuts voted for him, and got exactly what they wanted. And now their crops are rotting. HAAAAA-HA!
I love it when assholes get hoisted on their own petard.
Hmmm….
Is there an example from American history in which a President or presidential candidate rode the coat tails of down-ticket candidates?
I’m not saying he’ll ride the coattails of downticket candidates. Most of these governors were elected a year ago and will not be on the ballot.
I’m saying that the example of these governors creates the counterstory the president needs to tell.
So many issues are being discussed in the government. In the latest press conference, President Obama discussed the debt ceiling. He was very critical of the Congressional Republicans who are reluctant to increase the debt ceiling and hesitate at increased tax revenue. Obama said it is time for everyone to “take on their sacred cows” and “get it done.”. Reactions to the news conference seem naturally to be split along party lines. The proof is here: Obama blasts Republicans on debt ceiling.