Yesterday I covered the U.S. Senate. Today as I drive from L as Vegas to a daytime Tea Party rally in Barstow and an evening rally in Los Angeles, I am covering some gubernatorial races I care for.
Governors:
Butch Otter, Idaho: I met him personally, and spoke in front of him. He is smart, tough, and very well liked by the people of his state. He is a believer in “Western Values.” The most positive thing one can say is that while many states in America are dysfunctional, Idaho works. Businesses operate while the lush green of the state stays pristine. Governor Otter has been a successful governor, and absolutely merits reelection.
Matt Mead, Wyoming: I met him as well, and spoke in front of him. He won a primary against some stiff competition, including former Senator Alan Simpson’s son Colin Simpson. Like Idaho, Wyoming is a state functioning well. Mr. Mead seems well equipped to continue the good leadership in his state.
Jim Keet, Arkansas: I also met and spoke in front of him. He is a likable guy with a good sense of humor. He is a gentleman and a kind man, but also serious about rolling up his sleeves. He knows that Arkansas has been struggling, and he wants to make the state more business friendly. This can only help matters.
Meg Whitman, California: I have met and spoken in front of her as well, but this race captures my attention especially since I live in the Golden State. Meg is smart, competent, and capable. She is a moderate to liberal Republican, which makes conservatives pray she does not become another Arnold Schwarzenegger. A much more positive outcome would be her becoming the next Pete Wilson. He was reviled by conservatives, but is now rightfully seen as a great governor.
For those in California who want a “real conservative,” move to Idaho. The votes are not there in California. Jerry Brown may not be the crazy lefty loon he was in the 1970s, and his stint as Mayor of Oakland gave him some real world experience. Yet Meg Whitman is simply somebody who deserves a chance because her success in business is so impressive that she merits a chance to duplicate that success at the gubernatorial level. California has so many problems, and she is a serious problem solver.
Jan Brewer, Arizona: She is tough as nails, refusing to give in to blackmail and boycotts. Regardless of what one may think of the Arizona immigration law, at least she took a stand and did something. Unlike most politicians who back down at the slightest hint of resistance, Governor Brewer stood firm and stuck to her principles. Her reelection would be validation of her integrity.
Rick Scott, Florida: I was a staunch supporter of Bill McCollum, and was crushed when McCollum lost the primary. Yet Florida is functional, and that is because of successful Republican Governors. Jeb Bush was phenomenal, and Charlie Crist failed to screw things up. Rick Scott needs to just keep Florida a low tax haven where tourists and business alike continue to flock.
Rick Perry, Texas: Texas works. That’s it. Governor Perry followed the successful leadership of George W. Bush by sticking to Texas principles. Businesses are leaving California and coming to Texas. Governor Perry aggressively pursues this. As much as I like Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rick Perry defeating her certainly should be a tougher decision than his defeating a Democratic opponent.
John Kasich, Ohio: Something in the water in Ohio makes the politicians there colossally boring, and Kasich is no exception. Yet what he lacks in anything remotely resembling pizazz he makes up for in being a serious and qualified candidate to run the state. He is a budget guy, and the budget has gone in the tank as the Democrats ran the state. He is known as a principled and likable guy who can work with people to get things done. His house stint left him as a highly regarded and respected individual. Ohio will be in safe hands with him as a safe choice.
Charles Baker, Massachusetts: Deval Patrick is less insufferable than Barack Obama, but his policies are just as bad. Deval is a true leftist. While not a bad guy, his policies are too liberal for even Masachusetts. Charles Baker will not frighten people, in the same way Bill Weld was non-threatening.
Duke Aiona, Hawaii: Linda Lingle was a very successful governor who battled corruption and won in a traditionally blue state. Duke Aiona was her lieutenant governor, and a promotional bump up to the top spot is merited after his successful run as Lingle’s top deputy. Continuity is appropriate when things are working.
Nikki Haley, South Carolina: She is another conservative woman facing a vicious smear campaign for simply being a conservative and existing. Allegations have been made about her, and she has vigorously denied them. If any proof exists, it should be presented. I met Mark Sanford, who looked me in the eye and told me how much he loved his family. So yes, healthy skepticism can exist. However, one South Carolina Governor with these flaws does not mean the successor would have them. Such behavior is not hereditary. Nikki Haley would be celebrated for adding “diversity” if he were a liberal, but the left does not care about diversity when it exists ideologically as well. Haley is a real conservative.
Rick Snyder, Michigan: Jennifer Granholm was the worst governor in the worst state in America. She should be sent back to Canada as a defective product, and Michigan should be sold to Canada. While she is not on the ballot, neither was George W. Bush in 2008. Everything bad in Michigan happened on her watch. Unions destroyed the once proud state, and she accelerated the decline. Rick Snyder is fine because he is not Jennifer Granholm or her successor. That alone is enough.
Chris Dudley, Oregon: I have never met either man in this race, and the only reason I am paying attention to it is that this race is a dead heat, which to me is a shocker. My impression of John Kitzhaber is that he is a moderate to conservative Democrat in a liberal state. Republicans have told me that his “Western” act is just that, but it would still be a stunner to me if he went down.
Bill Brady, Illinois: I have met neither of these men. I ignored this race because I figured the Democrats would win big. Brady leads incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn by 3.5 points. Do not confuse either of these men with Brady Quinn, who has not done well as a quarterback in the NFL. Brady Quinn has not made an endorsement. Either way, this is Illinois, so watch out for corruption.
Time to get to the polls.
eric
Rick Scott would be a disaster for Florida. He’s just a bad person. As well, the sorts of backwards policies he endorses would only further exaserbate the problems we have here in Florida.
Contrary to our good host’s misbelief that “tourists and business alike continue to flock” to Florida, our tourism is down and businesses are most certainly not coming. We are among the states the hardest hit by the recession and mortgage crisis.
Low taxes and Right to Work laws have been a failure. Jobs don’t come to Florida because we have a poorly educated workforce, and a poor and inefficient physical infrastructure, thanks to our ridiculously low taxes and lack of a state income tax.
Also, we have a huge population of retirees on fixed incomes living off Social Security and Medicare, who can not afford to pay the wages necessary to attract high-wage health professionals and instead rely on minimum wage HHA’s and CNA’s, further dragging the state down in a vicious cycle of a class-imposed race to the bottom.
Our schools are perenially among the worst in the nation, even though we are among the wealthier states. This is because the schools are underfunded, run by non-academics, and the teachers are terribly underpaid.
Yes, Florida is a swing state for high national office, but a Red State inside. And this is what Red State politics get you – bad schools, perfectly avoidable poverty, and poor infrastruture.
Rick Scott, a criminal who stole from Medicare, is the LAST thing we need right now.
JMJ
Some people think both Meg and Fiorina had businesses that failed
thus making them horrible candidates.
I confided that I want to see new people leading the State, both
locally and nationally.
I voted almost straight Republican and make no bones that I am
a converted Democrat..and now a moderate Republican.
I liked Jerry’s father, I am not in awe of his son.
While Boxer is advertised as being a “fighter”, I would still like to
know what she has done for California. Okay, so she got 500,000,000
for a light rail..and proudly showed off a few people who will build
the transporation system. So what!
I have never taken the underground rail..and probably never will.
How much did that venture cost all of US?
The freeways are an abomination…thanks to the lack of planning
of the entire Southland. There is no need for anyone to travel 50 miles
per day to work.
Lets face an obvious fact, Southern California is 60 cities looking
for one city..with 60 ethnic groups which dont talk to one another.
Its a mess., but the weather is nice and there are palm trees.
If, as one friend told me, it is the wave of the future, I pity
our children and grandchildren.
I’ll have to research just what happened to Ebay and HP..to confirm
what I have been told.
I found it most disturbing, the recent revelations about banks which are not
propertly notifying people who have been sent foreclousre notices.
This has been picked up by some attorneys..real ambulence chasers.
Yet, Obama’s officials have said that the purpose of the investigations
is not to put people in jail, just to rectify the confusion, and thus aid
those people who face the loss of their homes.
I agree.
A couple with an extended family in Boston has been in the news
recenlty. They tood out a mortage of 80,000 then borrowed another 250,000 plus. (For various expenses).
When the news commentator told the spokesperson that the audience
watching would have some concerns about their fighting to retain the property by pressuring the lender, the response was, well, the last lender did not agree to refinancing..an ARM), and foreclosed.
Reading between the lines, the family borrowed on their equity
over 250,000. When the lender didnt approve anoother loan at
lower interest rates, it foreclosed, the existing loan not being paid back.
But, the tenants got over 250,000.
Get it.
This is an example of the fuzzy thinking on the part of the do-gooder
Democrats. Someone always pays. There is no free lunch folks.
This is what the Democrats, Boxer and Brown dont get. Someone
pays for it.
With deficits amounting to over 1 trillion/year, we can expect
our children, and grandchildren will pay. and this does not
include changes to social security and medicare/medicaid.
With 3 wars going no where, and Iran calling for “A New World Order” (sound famiilar). we need strong people in Washington who do not
apologize to dictatorships.