Tag: governor

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Elections Featured

Hey You! Wanna be Governor of NJ? We Need One

Chris Christie will go down in New Jersey history as one of the most unpopular, least effective, self-serving governors this state has ever had. And given our history, that’s saying a lot. But for someone with the political skills he has and the ability to connect with everyday people, having a 17% approval rating is shocking. He spent all of his political capital on Hurricane Sandy and thought that he would be the big mouth with the righteous anger in 2016, but that didn’t work out either.

And now he seems to have disappeared. OK, not entirely. He is spending his last few months highlighting the problems of drug addiction and is stumping for more money for treatment programs, but otherwise, he doesn’t have much else. His school spending plan is pretty much dead on arrival and Trump has taken all of the available space and oxygen in the politician realm. Christie was passed over for a cabinet position, but I can see him taking over after one of Trump’s originals flames out, which will happen sooner rather than later. Heck, if Christie can hang on, he could become VP if Trump does something high-crimish or misdemeanorlike in the next two years, which is also looking somewhat possible given that he can’t stand criticism and thinks that everything that goes against his family is unfair.

Even Christie’s Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guagdano, is fleeing Trenton and is running to succeed her boss. It will be interesting to see how she’s going to separate herself from him since we didn’t see much of her leadership style for, well, eight years. And that includes the time when the state got smacked with a blizzard when Christie was on vacation and Guagdano was the acting Governor. Not a peep. And the state ground to a halt. Talk about laissez-faire.

The Democrats are in much better shape in this state than nationally, but they are still going to have to round up votes in the traditionally Democratic urban and suburban areas. Right now Phil Murphy is the front-runner and has already been endorsed by party bigwigs and some unions. John Wisniewski is also running and he actually has state-level governing experience as a member of the State Assembly for the past 20 years. He’s trying to run as an outsider, but if Trump is any guide to how an outsider runs a government, Wisniewski might want to run as the trusted, sure hand who can actually govern.

But this is all for the future as we’re in the money-grubbing phase of the election until springtime, and the primaries aren’t until June. Another election. Fun.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

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ObamaCare Politics

GOP Matt Bevin Wins Kentucky

He ran on a platform attacking Obamacare and other social issues like gay marriage etc., and promising to take away the people’s healthcare if given a chance as governor. Well, the people of Kentucky have spoken and voted for Republican Matt Bevin to be their next governor.

Bev­in led Demo­crat Jack Con­way, Ken­tucky’s two-term at­tor­ney gen­er­al, 52 per­cent to 44 per­cent when the As­so­ci­ated Press called the race just after 8 p.m. Con­way nev­er trailed in a pub­lic poll this sum­mer or fall, or dur­ing the run-up to Elec­tion Day, and Bev­in even trailed in his cam­paign’s own in­tern­al polling. But the Re­pub­lic­an kept the race close and Ken­tucky’s in­creas­ingly con­ser­vat­ive lean swept him home.

Bev­in’s vic­tory upends a dec­ades-long trend in Ken­tucky in which Demo­crats have seen suc­cess at the state level des­pite strug­gling in fed­er­al races. Bev­in leaned on so­cial is­sues, in­clud­ing Row­an County Clerk Kim Dav­is’s re­fus­al to is­sue same-sex mar­riage li­censes this sum­mer, to en­er­gize con­ser­vat­ive voters. Bev­in also cri­ti­cized Con­way for not de­fend­ing the state’s same-sex mar­riage ban in court as at­tor­ney gen­er­al.

And the Re­pub­lic­an Gov­ernors As­so­ci­ation spent mil­lions of dol­lars on ads ty­ing Con­way to Pres­id­ent Obama on coal, health care, and oth­er is­sues, a for­mula that the group rode to suc­cess in oth­er red-state races over the past five years.

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Politics Texas Wendy Davis

Wendy Davis to GOP: “Get Out of the Vagina Business…” – PIC

If I lived in Texas, that statement alone would be all I need to vote for Davis in the upcoming elections.

Presently in the Texas Senate, Davis gained national recognition when on June 25, 2013, she began an 11 hour filibuster to block Senate Bill 5, a bill written by Republicans to create new abortion regulations in Texas.

Davis is now running for Governor of Texas.

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New Jersey Politics

Chris Christie Wins – Lectures Republican Establishment in Speech

Chris Christie of New Jersey won re-election by a crushing margin on Tuesday, a victory that vaulted him to the front ranks of Republican presidential contenders and made him his party’s foremost proponent of pragmatism over ideology the New York Times reports.

Mr. Christie declared that his decisive win should be a lesson for the nation’s broken political system and his feuding party: In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by over 700,000, Mr. Christie won a majority of the votes of women and Hispanics and made impressive inroads among younger voters and blacks — groups that Republicans nationally have struggled to attract.

The governor prevailed despite holding positions contrary to those of many New Jersey voters on several key issues, including same-sex marriage, abortion rights and the minimum wage, and despite an economic recovery that has trailed the rest of the country.

He attracted a broad coalition by campaigning as a straight-talking, even swaggering, leader who could reach across the aisle to solve problems.

“I know that if we can do this in Trenton, N.J., then maybe the folks in Washington, D.C., should tune in their TVs right now and see how it’s done,” Mr. Christie told a packed crowd at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, where his musical idol, Bruce Springsteen, holds holiday concerts, and where red and blue lighting gave the gathering a presidential campaign-like glow.

The governor all but lectured Republicans about how to appeal to groups beyond their base. “We don’t just show up in the places where we’re comfortable, we show up in the places we’re uncomfortable,” he said, adding, “You don’t just show up 6 months before an election.”

Around the country, Republicans alarmed by the surging grass roots support for the Tea Party wing were cheered by Mr. Christie’s success, saying they hope their party will learn not only from the size of Mr. Christie’s margin over Barbara Buono, a Democratic state senator, but also from the makeup of his support.

“We’ll be led back by our governors, and Chris Christie is now at the forefront of that resurgence,” said Ed Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

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Politics

Florida’s New Democrat Charlie Crist Running Against Old Teaparty Govenor Rick Scott

Former Republican Florida Governor and present Democrat Charlie Crist has announced that he will run for governor of Florida again, this time as a Democrat, against his old party and against the contamination brought on Floridians by Teabagger Rick Scott.

Proud Teabagger Rick Scott has been a national embarrassment almost since the day he took office, and Florida has never been worse off for it. Mere hours ago, Charlie Crist addressed a crowd at an event near his home in St. Petersberg, unofficially kicking off the start of his upcoming campaign. The transcript isn’t available yet, but we do know this — Rick Scott is already running scared, and is expected to spend more than $25 million on attack ads against Crist.

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Donald Trump Donald Trump New York Politics

Desperate New York Republicans want Donald Trump for Governor

I looked up the word “desperate” in the dictionary, and this move by top New York Republicans to get Donald Trump to run for Governor against Gov Cuomo, perfectly defines the word.

They’re seeking to make the case that while Trump is only an apprentice politician, he’s the only Republican on the horizon who has the name recognition, guts and money to tell Cuomo, “You’re fired!”

They’re also arguing that Trump could launch a 2016 presidential run — which he has clearly been eyeing with his criticisms of President Obama and Washington — by first winning the election for governor.

So far, Trump, who only recently learned of the effort, which is backed by state GOP Chairman Ed Cox and other party leaders, hasn’t said a flat “no.’’
Asked for comment by The Post, Trump left open the possibility of entering the race and blasted Cuomo, and even Cuomo’s dad, ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo, for their records in office.

He initially said he was “very flattered’’ that top Republicans were promoting his potential candidacy for governor but noted that running for the office was “not something that I’ve ever even thought about.’’

A few hours later, however, Trump followed up with a scathing attack on Gov. Cuomo — for high taxes and his failure to approve fracking for natural gas — as well as on three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo.

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Featured Politics Rick Scott

Republican Governor Signs Bill Banning Paid Sick Leave

Gov. Rick Scott

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed a bill on Friday that blocks local governments from implementing paid sick leave legislation, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He made his decision quickly, only taking four of the 15 days he legally had to review the bill before he signed it.

In signing the bill, Scott sided with big business interests including Disney World, Darden Restaurants (owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster), and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The bill is part of a national effort to pass so-called “preemption bills” that would block paid sick leave legislation that is backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a right-wing group that coordinates conservative laws across states. The state’s House Majority Leader, Steve Precourt (R), who was instrumental in putting forward the preemption bill, is an active ALEC member.

h/t Talking Points Memo

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michael steele Politics

Michael Steele Wants To Be Your Governor

If you’re living in Maryland that is. The former Republican National Committee Chair is actively considering a run for the governorship.

“We’re looking at it,” Steele told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd on Monday. “You’re going take a look at the numbers. Maryland’s a tough state, there are a lot of challenges there.”

It’s the second such comment Steele has made recently. Last week, The Daily Caller reported on a radio interview in which Steele said he was “looking at it.”

“I’m looking at it,” Steele said on WMAL radio. “We’ll see what the numbers tell us.”

Maryland’s present governor, Martin O’Malley, is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. He will have reached his term limit in 2014.

Steele is the former lieutenant governor of Maryland. In 2006 he lost a Senate race to Ben Cardin (D), who was reelected in 2012.

Steele had a rocky term as RNC chairman, with the organization frequently producing negative headlines about lavish spending. He lost his chairmanship to Reince Priebus in 2011, despite overseeing massive Republican gains in the 2010 election cycle.

Categories
Domestic Policies Mitt Romney New Jersey Republican

I Went to Trenton to Govern, But All I Got Was This Lousy $38 Million

Governor Christie has had some major legislative accomplishments over the past two years including a 2% cap on property taxes and a public worker pension and benefits overhaul. Mind you, these laws have not necessarily made life better for New Jerseyans, as taxes have still risen and thousands of experienced public workers have either retired, fled or have been laid off because of them.

The past six weeks, though, have been another story for the guv’nor.

Despite his general popularity, the Republicans actually lost seats in the November legislative elections. Now Christie will need to rely even more heavily on the Democratic majority in the legislature and the Democratic power brokers in Essex and Camden Counties. Add in the disdain that Senate President Steven Sweeney has for Christie and you have a recipe for gridlock sprinkled with a tablespoon of revenge.

Then, the general consensus was that the lame duck legislative session was going to be one of the most active in years, with bills flying around State Street on teacher tenure and evaluation, property taxes, jobs, budget cuts and patronage. What’s happened? Nada. Almost every issue was pushed to the formal session that begins in early January, and won’t probably get any steam until the Governor’s State of the State message in the middle of the month.

And in the spirit of the holidays, Christie picked a fight with Senator, and former Governor, Richard Codey over the permanent appointment of Commissioner of Education Christopher Cerf, accusing Codey of (gasp!) feeding information to reporters. Christie canceled Codey’s security detail and fired Codey’s cousin from the Port Authority board. That’s politics through and through and shows that Christie will never be the warm, fuzzy leader he sometimes pretends to be.

But the true state of the Governor’s clout was uncovered when New Jersey was actually awarded $38 million dollars in Race to the Top funds by the Obama Administration so it could implement a speculative teacher evaluation system based on student standardized test scores. Getting money should be a positive, but this award only dredged up the previous failure to even qualify for $400 million dollars in education funds because of the Governor’s attitude towards the New Jersey Education Association. Not only did it cost the state money, it also cost Commissioner of Education Brett Schundler his job and showed that Christie would blame everyone but his leadership for the error. It’s a pattern that he’s repeated in every misstep since, and it’s one reason why he would not make a good president.

He’s ending the year by essentially becoming Mitt Romney’s pit bull and possible vice-presidential running mate. Granted, he did only say that he would keep the door open, but that will only serve as a distraction in the coming year, as his flirtation with the presidency proved throughout the fall, because every time he doesn’t get what he wants, the media will remind us all that he’s got his eye on the national ticket. The Governor should just say no this time around and focus on the state.

It’s still very possible that Christie will get some of his reforms through the legislature, but many in the state are tired of his outbursts and outlandish statements. Prosecutors like him are convinced that they are always right and that they have the ultimate truth on their side, so why compromise? We need to remember that the next time one runs for statewide office.

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Politics Republican Rick Scott

Florida’s Rick Scott – The Most Unpopular Governor In America

Governor Rick Scott of Florida. Remember him? The Republican governor who rode into the state on his white Teaparty horse in November 2010, promising to create jobs and providing every household with an unlimited supply of manna from above? Remember him? Well it seems that Floridians have had enough of the far-right ideology that Scott promotes, and plus, the manna was too dry!

In a new PPP poll, Scott’s already low approval ratings fell even further. And according to the PPP, it is not Democrats or Independents causing the sinking feeling in Scott’s Florida – no, it is his fellow Republicans abandoning ship!

PPP Poll found;

Rick Scott has hit a new low in PPP’s Florida polling with only 26% of voters now approving of his job performance to 58% who disapprove. His previous worst numbers had come in June when he had a 33% approval rating with 59% unhappy with his performance. Scott’s numbers with Democrats are pretty much unchanged compared to then and his standing with independents has gotten a little better.  What’s really caused the bottom to drop out for him is that even Republicans are starting to really sour on his leadership. In June Scott had a 63/30 approval spread with them. That’s now dropped all the way down to 46/31.

Scott is the most unpopular Governor in the country in PPP’s polling.

Buyers remorse indeed!

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democrats Politics West Virginia

Democrats Win Special Election in West Virginia

Republicans stuck to their old campaign strategy in West Virginia – trying to tie their Democratic opponent to President Obama. They figured it worked in the last two special elections – including Anthony Weiner’s old House seat in New York – and it was sure to work again. However, this time it didn’t work and after a Republican onslaught of millions of dollars into the race in the final weeks, the Democrat – Mr. Earl Ray Tomblin – won the election for governor over his Republican challenger Bill Maloney.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Tomblin, 59, led Maloney by 50 percent to 47 percent, or about 8,500 votes. Three other candidates received low levels of support, including one associated with the Green Party, who won 2 percent.

The court-ordered special election had become as much about the Democratic president as about the candidates on the ballot in the last days before the vote.

Outside groups poured millions of dollars into the contest, recognizing that a third special election loss for a Democrat within just the past three weeks would have been especially damaging as Obama’s 2012 re-election bid gears up.

The Democratic Governors Association spent $2.4 million on the race, and the Republican Governors Association spent $3.4 million, including a spot that began running a few days ago in the expensive Washington, D.C., media market tying Tomblin to Obama’s healthcare law.

Had Maloney won this election, the Republican propaganda machine would be calling it a referendum on Obama. I wonder if the lost would be looked upon as a referendum on Republican’s policies…!

Categories
Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

More Wisconsin Republicans Added to Recall List

The count is now up to four. That’s how many petitions have been filed to recall the Republican senators who supported Governor Walker’s decision to strip Wisconsin workers of their union rights. Democrats got the required 15,000 signatures needed to add the latest senators Luther Olsen and Sheila Harsdorf to the recall list.

Meanwhile, progressives still plan to file recall petitions against four other GOP state senators, and have until May 2 to do so. They plan to do the same against Walker once he is eligible for recall. And as FDL’s Dave Dyden notes, “While conservative activists have hinted that they have achieved enough signatures to recall Democratic members of the Senate, they have yet to file any petitions with the GAB.”

Governor Walker will be eligible for recall in January 2012.

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