Why? Why can't he stand for conservative principles, go to the people and explain how wrong liberalism is and how its killing the state, and that he'll veto any and all liberal crap that reaches his desk. Why work with these cretins?
He can’t do things the same way as Walker, Kasich or Scott, all of whom are fortunate to have GOP legislative majorities.
Many of these Republicans in these legislatures were RINOs and tried to thwart the Governors' agenda. Walker, in particular, won out because he stood his ground and didn't back down from the progressives in both parties who tried to destroy him.
Hogan is not going to get his agenda passed by "working with" Democrats. In fact, the state will continue its socialist slide, and Hogan will get the blame for it because he's a Republican. I'd rather see Hogan stand for conservative principles and lose (Then voters will open their eyes and break from liberalism), than to be a groveling feckless RINO and still end up losing and getting blamed for it.
Those Democrats will stab him in the back every chance they get.
Consider in no way am I urging Hogan or any other Governor to pursue a leftist agenda or to rubber stamp that agenda. I’m merely stating a fact that in a state that is effectively 2 or 3-to-1 Democrat, if you want to get anything passed or accomplished, you have no choice but to work with them. You hone in on those elected officials who want to get something done in the opposition and do an end-run around the Dem leadership that would seek to shoot it down. Reagan had to do this, and he was successful.
If he decides to exclusively play the partisan or obstructionist role across the board for 4 years under such dynamics, it’s going to wear thin real fast and it certainly won’t do anything to further the GOP in MD for the future.
You are right about Hogan, and the GOP insiders are wrong.