Tom Corbett has been a terrible governor here in Pennsylvania, but the odd thing is that almost everyone seems willing to acknowledge that he’s been terrible. If you move over to Ohio, John Kasich has been no better, but he at least gets some good press. Not that I hang with too many of them, but I don’t even hear Republicans defending Corbett.
Maybe he’s just not likable, but he hasn’t engendered much loyalty. The polls bear this out, with only 38% of Republicans currently saying that he deserves to be reelected. Considering that only 22% of independents and 7% of Democrats support his reelection, he’s basically a dead parrot. The upcoming shenanigans on the budget and debt ceiling from Washington Republicans are only going to further tarnish the GOP brand in this blue state, so there isn’t any relief for Corbett on the horizon.
In fact, Governor Corbett’s weakness is so stark, that it is enticing more Democrats to consider entering the race. Former State Auditor Jack Wagner, a moderate who got more votes than Obama in 2008, is sensing an opportunity and may make a bid. But, for now, Rep. Allyson Schwartz looks like the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. If elected, she would be the first woman to govern the Keystone State, and the first challenger to beat an incumbent governor since 1974. Also, since 1938, Pennsylvania gubernatorial voters have chosen against the president’s party 18 out of 19 times.
However, none of those statistics carry as much weight as Corbett’s leaden personality.
They don’t have any fjords in Pennsylvania. Maybe that’s the problem.
Well, we’re certainly pining for a new governor.
However, none of those statistics carry as much weight as Corbett’s leaden personality.
How many cases did Corbett actually try in court during his lawyer career? I ask because any decent lawyer wouldn’t be this bad re: people skills. If he’s the bumbling and bad as Governor, one wonders how bad he was as state AG.
Plenty of lawyers have terrible social skills. They’re just the ones who don’t litigate in courtrooms.
Will he actually run for re-election, and if so will he face a primary challenger?
That’s a good question. The more his approvals sink, the more likely he’ll at least get a primary challenge. Boo would know better than I if that would cause One-term Tom to live up to that name the easy way.
Do you think there’s any chance he won’t run again?
About two months ago I heard rumblings that the party might try to convince him not to run again, and that Rep. Jim Gerlach might step up in such a circumstance, but those rumblings went quiet.
So are there any “Class of 2010” GOP governors who haven’t made a complete hash of their first term in office?
Jan Brewer stands out as one of the more successful.
Which is really saying something.
Because she had to browbeat the GOP controlled legislature into accepting the Medicaid money?
Reminds me of Jon Stewart
The embed code doesn’t seem to work, but it’s hilarious.
Gov Hurts
The relationship between Republican governors and their states goes from cool new boyfriend to psychotic stepdad.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-24-2011/gov-hurts?xrs=share_copy
Corbett’s undoing won’t just be that he’s a surly, incompetent and corrupt Governor. As AG, he was well aware of the allegations made by Jerry Sandusky’s victims, yet he did nothing until it was way too late. In doing so, he besmirched the name of Penn State’s head football coach Joe Paterno – and in the eyes of many Pennsylvanians, that was worse than blasphemy. As the won/loss record of the Nittany Lions football team goes, so does Corbett’s reelection hopes.
Plus, it’s now getting out that many of the land owners who allowed the fracking companies onto their land with the promise of big money are now having their royalty checks cut by 2/3rds or more. And NOBODY is more identified with the fracking industry in PA more that Corbett.
By 2015, he’ll have his dream job of a lobbyist for the fracking industry. But Pennsylvanians will suffer from his sociopathic term as Governor for generations to come.