Governors
Okay. A word on this pair of entries in a bit.
Red State Democratic Governors: Janet Napolitano Arizona, Kathleen Sebelius Kansas, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Louisiana, Brian Schweitzer Montana, William Richardson New Mexico, Michael F. Easley North Carolina, Brad Henry Oklahoma, Philip N. Bredesen Tennessee, Mark R. Warner Virginia, Joe Manchin West Virginia, David D. Freudenthal Wyoming
Blue State Republican Governors: Arnold Schwarzenegger California, M. Jodi Rell Connecticut, Linda Lingle Hawaii, Robert L. Ehrlich Maryland, W. Mitt Romney Massachusetts, Timothy Pawlenty Minnesota, George E. Pataki New York, Donald L. Carcieri Rhode Island, James H. Douglas Vermont
New England’s slate of governors is strikingly Republican-filled, despite the fact that the region is now solidly Democratic in its presidential voting. (And mind you, woe to the party whose base in the Northeast.) The state of Massachusetts has not elected a Democratic governor since Michael Dukakis’s woefully pulled the plug on his political career.
But I should note a few things regarding the culture wars. Connecticut is barreling its way toward adopting language for same sex couples to if not have marriage rights, have the bastard watered-down step-son the “civil union”. And that case is closed in Vermont (the state that now looks like the most liberal in the nation– also puzzlingly enough the most rural). You almost suspect that the governor of Massachussets would go for such a thing, better to mollify himself to fight for the holy tax-cut, were it not for his eyeing a presidential bid.
I have read that the governor of West Virginia may as well be Zell Miller is his party labeling. I suspect the governor of Louisiania may as well be John Beruex. (This list is quite comical in its battle against Lincoln… but all Southern States look a lot like that.)
The situation in Kansas, and how they managed to elect a Democratic governor (and how they are likely to re-elect him) was touched upon in the book What’s the Matter With Kansas. The dominant party — the Republican Party– is split, the right wing (and may I add poorer) who keep battling Evolution and cultural issues of the type are despised by the Moderate (may I add, richer) Wing of the party. The split has not disappeared — hence a moderate-liberal abortion-supporting capital punishment-opposing Democrat is probably going to win re-election.
Oklahoma elected its Democrat as a result of the issue of cock fighting. To each state their own.
I might add that as a whole, the approval ratings of the Republican governors are falling and getting into the negative terrority, and the approval ratings are generally positive. Or so I’ve read. Schwarzenegger is the most famous and spectacular example. (On the other hand, Granholm — who was elected to much acclaim and is sort of the counter-Democratic example to change the “born in the USA” rule for running for the Presidency — has taken a ratings beating herownself.) [a quick note, if I recall right, Survey USA’s polls have a Republican bias. Not dramatically, but go ahead and edge a point either way.)
As for the Senate seats: I’m a bit puzzled by how North Dakota sends two democrats — one moderate, one amongst its most liberals — to the Senate. Arkansas seems to owe its Senate delegation indirectly to Clinton — winning in 1998; the other coming through with a sex-(and may I add: hypocrisy) scandal hitting the incumbant (the one victory the Democratic Party received in 2002). West Virginia simply has two old guys. Pennsylvania will likely shed its way back to “purple” status when Bob Casey defeats Rick Santorum (a project of the 1994 election cycle) next year. (I might add that the party delegations of the Senate show something Grover Norquist and the like know well in mapping strategy: if you go to the 50-50 election of 2000 or the 51-49 election of 2004, the States are divided 30-20. Hence, I believe we oughta either abolish the Senate or abolish the Electoral College, since they’re kind of redundant in their “check and balances” role… but pretend like I didn’t say that. For the moment, just consider that in the troubles coming ahead in the Senate’s upcoming vote to override the Senate Parlimentarian’s “What, are you kidding?” decision on the matter of whether filibustering judges is an unconstitutional practice.)