Posted on 02/09/2016 5:46:09 AM PST by Kaslin
The Iowa caucuses may have only muddied the waters in the race for the White House, but they did almost definitively decide one thing: The next president will not be a governor. That's an amazing revelation because, just one year ago, the smart money was betting that the next president would be a Republican governor.
The governors were supposed to be the GOP's talent pool.
If the nominee wasn't going to be Jeb Bush, the former two-term Florida CEO with a sterling job performance, voters would surely look to Wisconsin's Scott Walker, the conservative warrior for financial sanity and labor reform, or the policy wizard Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
If none of these candidates panned out, a second tier of popular and talented governors, Ohio's John Kasich, Texas' Rick Perry and New Jersey's Chris Christie, stood at the ready -- as did former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Perry had an amazing story to tell: While he was governor, 2007-2013, the Lone Star State created more jobs than all the other 49 states combined. Of the governors, he was the only Republican or Democratic candidate who served in the military. What was not to like?
But like the snow in Washington from last month's blizzard, Perry and the rest of the state CEOs have melted away.
The remaining wannabes, Bush, Kasich and Christie, combined collected about as many votes in Iowa as retired surgeon Ben Carson -- who finished in fourth place. They were non-entities, even though Bush spent millions in the Hawkeye State. These three are the walking dead of the race and are all pinning their hopes on a top-three performance in New Hampshire. Only Kasich appeared to have a shot.
What happened? In a year when politicians are despised, their experience became a liability. Even their successes were dismissed. The more Kasich boasted of how he balanced budgets in the 1990s in Congress and for five years as governor, the more conservatives concluded: He's been around too long. Talent wasn't in high demand. Fresh blood was.
I don't have a horse in this race (though I helped Sen. Rand Paul with his tax and economic program). But the demise of the governors should be deeply disappointing to conservatives, because these executives have actually walked the walk. They have cut taxes. They have balanced budgets. They have taken on unions and reformed welfare. When and why did conservatives stop believing that actions speak louder than words?
Let's be honest: Jeb Bush was easily the most qualified for the Oval Office, having masterfully run the third-most-populous state. I wince when voters whine that he isn't conservative enough. A governor who cut taxes five times, who instituted the most advanced school-choice program in the country, who oversaw an enormous growth spurt in Florida, who is a fearless free-trader, who fought for the right to life unfailingly isn't conservative enough?
Granted, these governors ran lousy campaigns and sounded tone-deaf to voter rage. Jeb was his own worst enemy; he was obsessed with raising $100 million, while failing to reintroduce himself to voters and assure them that we weren't going to get a fourth Bush term.
Kasich seemed to go out of his way to irritate conservatives by grabbing the carrot of Medicaid dollars from Obamacare and rationalizing the money grab by saying Jesus made him do it. Jindal was too wonky. Walker came across as not ready for prime-time. Huckabee was too preachy. Perry never had a chance because he was a governor from Texas -- and we just did that.
Still, governing effectively isn't a sin; it's a skill. The art of politics is figuring out when to reach across the aisle, get 70 percent of what you want and find ways to bring the other team along. Reagan was a steadfast conservative with unshakable convictions, but he made deals -- and mostly good ones -- for the country and the cause of freedom.
I have mostly admiration for the three men left standing: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. But it's slightly disconcerting that none has ever governed. Warning: Obama tried to learn on the job, and it was a giant fiasco. One of these three survivors is likely to be the next president. Once he wins the nomination, here's hoping that he taps a governor as his running mate. There are plenty of stars to choose from. The talent pool runs deep.
Friends and neighbors in New Hampshire;
Today you go to the polls and vote for your primary choice in the Republican Party.
The president is described in the US Constitution as being not only the Commander In Chief of the US Military, but also and I quote “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. â€
There are four men running who have executive experience, Governor Christie, Former Governor Bush and former Governor Kasich each has executive experience as governors. The fourth is Businessman Donald Trump.
Of the four only one has executive experience using his own money and not the bottomless pit of tax dollars. That one would be Businessman Donald John Trump. I would hope and pray you would keep that in mind as you vote today.
On the ballot are five politicians begging the donor class for money and one self funding businessman.
Kaisch finsihes 2-3rd tonight and becomes the new GOPe darling
The GOPe’s continued insults to the conservative base, and, in turn, ordinary voters, in Congress, in the party’s own behavior have brought this on. The lie has been put to the notion that they represent our interests. The governors are more of the same and worse. The need for serious federal reform is real, deep and urgent.
The Governors are all cheap labor importers, that’s why they are being rejected.
The “ruling class” is going to have their ruling a$$e$ handed to them today in NH! JMHO
People are tired of “mealy mouthed”, “go along to get along”, “reaching across the aisle” RINOs, be they successful governors or not.
What people are looking for is the vision and plan for the future each candidate can lay out. How can they restore limited government and individual liberty?
Sort of.
The big thing here is that Trump, who is fueled by anti-establishment sentiment, used his celebrity to suck up most of the political oxygen.
If Trump weren’t in the race we’d be looking at Cruz and Walker at the top (no idea who would be ahead) with Rubio a little further back in third.
Have I been cyber-screaming until I'm blue in the face that Kasich is dangerous? I tell ya', he's "plan B". Bought and paid for by the highest bidders. And when he gets zoned in on campaigning? Believe it or not, he can be quite effective.
Eh, maybe. But I can’t see Kasich doing diddly squat in SC, or any other upcoming southern state.
The media would love Pig Vomit to be the GOP nominee. They’ll bring out his best friend and fellow intern-banger Gary Condit.
The GOP establishment does not get it. While we - the base - are all for limited govt and capitalism - most of us are not for free trade. Free trade is not even what the Founding Fathers practiced so you can't claim it is a 'conservative' value. Free trade has been a disaster for America's middle class and the establishment still tries to sell it like it is a conservative principle. IT IS NOT!
It is not even a Republican principle. The Democrats of the Slave holding south wanted less to no tariffs and the GOP Republicans wanted tariffs to protect manufacturing in the 1800s.
I don't know for sure if the author of this does not get that about free trade or does know how deeply unpopular - nay - hated - free trade is for the base as an issue and tried to sneak that in as a conservative value.
Either way it shows the problem of establishment vs the base (and I am sure this is also the same for Democrat voters pummeled by free trade and why Sanders is up and Clinton is down).
Walker was the only stand-out governor and I love Jindal for pushing school vouchers in LA.
True. The thought of Trump selecting SC justices is only slightly better than giving that task to Hillary or Bernie. Thankfully there's still a long way to go.
Walker (an excellent Governor, anyone who says otherwise is a liar) was my original first choice and Jindal my 3rd. Walker was overly cautious and his money bailed on him, he’s still my top pick for VP. Jindal is wooden and became super-unpopular in LA for some reason, still think he’s a fine gentleman and would be a better President than anyone still running other than Cruz.
Nothing against Gilmore but he’s a no chancer who has no business running, got completely tooled in a Senate race.
Jeb and Kasich are pure trash, Huck too, good riddance to him. Christie ain’t very good either, I’ll never forgive him for kissing Obama’s ring in 2012.
I totally forgot Perry ran this time, I’m not a fan but he’s alright compared to some of these other jerks, I coulda lived with him.
I reject the notion that being Governors is the reason they didn’t do well. All things being equal I’d still look to a Governor before a Senator, or certainly a real estate magnate.
I see you have perfectly defined why I am supporting Donald.
Jim Gilmore was governor of Virginia and also served in the Army as a military counterintelligence agent. He's the most accomplished and qualified candidate of the lot, which is why he gets absolutely no media exposure.
Kaslin, Thank you for posting this good article by Steven Moore. I think that the governor’s have proved what he says and should be looked at better than they have been.
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