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.
