Tell us if your Governor is 2016 Presidential material and ready for Primetime..

[MisterMajestic]

Nikki Haley, South Carolina: Absolutely, positively NOT..Her approval rating is at 38% in this Republican State and Obama is at 49%...LOL...The irony in that..

She's done NOTHING while in office and the Republicans that voted for her are getting just what they deserve...And we have to suffer right along with them.....After watching Mark "The Mountain Man" Sanford hike down the trail to publicly support her the republican voters still didnt take it as a BAD sign....

She claimed she was a White woman when she was a House Rep.,then claimed she was an Indian woman when she ran for the Governorship and now that she's visiting every Black Church that will have her she'll claim she's a Black woman in order to win a huge portion of the Black vote in the next election....

I will SCREAM Bloody Murder if she even THINKS about running for anything after she's FIRED....

Tell us about your Governors across the Land...


(P.S. for you serious Jubers I'm not ranting, just being Dramatic for entertainment purposes)

[palbert]

Maine's Paul LePage? Never. He makes Glenn Beck look progressive.

[Jack Springer]

Jay Nixon of Missouri has reached his plateau. He's not going anywhere near DC. He worked pretty well with a republican House and Senate. Not such a bad guy, but he'll retire in four years.

[MisterMajestic]

Didnt LePage tell Obama to go Fuck himself when Obama didnt support him back in 2010 or something?

[palbert]

Didnt LePage tell Obama to go Fuck himself when Obama didnt support him back in 2010 or something?

Might well have. His forte is offending all. Making him governor and then on citizen iniative approving marriage equality is just the quirky way we do things up here.

[JayHawk]

Jack covered Nixon... the guy on the better side of Kansas City is Sam Brownback. His policy decisions makes the Westboro Baptist Church look like the sane folks coming out of Topeka. In my adopted home state of Tennessee the Governor was juts elected and was a Mayor in TN before that so I dont think he has National chops yet.... maybe down the road but i also have never heard the guy speak or paid attention to his policy stances. In my actual home state of Ohio, John Kasich is about as likely to garner national support as Scott Walker. Especially after his SoS tried so ineffectively but persistently to manipulate the vote in Ohio to hand the win to Romney.

[maxpowr9]

Deval Patrick already spoke at the 2012 DNC so I would assume so. However, he has said that he has no ambition to run for President. He would be better suited for AG.

[JockBoy87]

Martin OMalley of Maryland is testing the waters amid rumors of a 2016 run. He is not particularly popular right now, though; the latest poll numbers reflect some bruising ballot fights, all of which he won.

[RazorzEdge88]

Martin O'Malley is supposedly one of a handful of possible candidates.

He really only has lukewarm support here in the deep blue state of Maryland, though. I can't see him getting any real traction.

[eastofeden]

Jerry Brown...already been there...three times I believe.

[White Eagle]

Rick Perry?

Need I say more?

[JayHawk]

Jerry Brown...already been there...three times I believe.

It will be interesting to see What Brown accomplishes or fails to accomplish with a Democratic super Majority in the largest state in the union.

[palemale]

Andrew Cuomo is our governor in New York. He definitely wants to be president. I hope to hell he does not succeed in that ambition. He's not a particularly ethical guy. He's only as progressive as he has to be to get elected, but he is sort of the Democratic Romney, except not as maladroit. He will stay consistently on the progressive side of issues, but he holds those views to get elected, not because he believes in them with any particular conviction.

[JockBoy87]

Martin O'Malley is supposedly one of a handful of possible candidates.

He really only has lukewarm support here in the deep blue state of Maryland, though. I can't see him getting any real traction.

I think it's because of recent ballot fights. He put a lot of political capital into defending them, and the big three passed with small majorities.

Maryland has a low unemployment rate (6.6%) compared to the national average and it is the highest earning state per capita. Those are things he can run on.

[MisterB]

Bob McDonald; he was rumored to be on Romney's short list for VP. He seems to understand that VA is basically two states--North and South Virginia. He's well spoken, and has pleasant enough looks. He'll probably test the national waters, as he's out of office end of 2013, and cannot run for reelection.

It's the AG of VA that has huge political aspirations--Cucinnelli (sp?). That's one scary dude. However, his focus seems to be more on social issues, and I don't think that will bode well nationally. He reminds me a lot of Santorum.

[eastofeden]

It will be interesting to see What Brown accomplishes or fails to accomplish with a Democratic super Majority in the largest state in the union.

His popularity has risen alot after raising the sales tax and tax on the over 250,000 earners in November. I think it was up to 48% from the low 40s...He was alot tougher on the budget than I expected. I think he demonstrated great leadership.

The State Legislature also got a big jump in popularity recently as well.

The Republicans think they are in a dictatorship but they don't bother too much with the hate because he has been around so long they don't have anything new to say.

[xbuzzerx]

Tell us if your Governor is 2016 Presidential material and ready for Primetime..

God I hope not. If they ever pass an amendment to allow non-natural born U.S. citizens to run for President and our ex-Gov Arnold ran I'd be afraid of how many people would vote for him just because of his acting reputation. He was a horrible governor of CA, ask any nurse or anybody who paid college fees while he was governor.

[Jack Springer]

Jack covered Nixon... the guy on the better side of Kansas City is Sam Brownback. His policy decisions makes the Westboro Baptist Church look like the sane folks coming out of Topeka. In my adopted home state of Tennessee the Governor was juts elected and was a Mayor in TN before that so I dont think he has National chops yet.... maybe down the road but i also have never heard the guy speak or paid attention to his policy stances. In my actual home state of Ohio, John Kasich is about as likely to garner national support as Scott Walker. Especially after his SoS tried so ineffectively but persistently to manipulate the vote in Ohio to hand the win to Romney.

Brownback already tried running for President and failed miserably.

[csb999]

opine the US presidential contest is so pc it squeaks . No middle-aged white man will ever win against Obama . Condaleeza Rice could blow him out of the water , unless the Democrats can come up with a disabled black lesbian .

[Jack Springer]

^^

Election by guilt. I'd laugh if it wasn't so sad.

[MisterB]

opine the US presidential contest is so pc it squeaks . No middle-aged white man will ever win against Obama . Condaleeza Rice could blow him out of the water , unless the Democrats can come up with a disabled black lesbian .

So they can run against the other black lesbian you reference here?

[gewhite3]

Rick Scott??? It will be a cold, cold day in hell when that man has any chance of being elected President. He won't even make a 2nd term as Governor of Florida.

[JockBoy87]

Rick Scott??? It will be a cold, cold day in hell when that man has any chance of being elected President. He won't even make a 2nd term as Governor of Florida.

I always thought it amusing when my neighbors in Orlando flipped in the face of a frost warning, shuffling to get their plants inside and raiding Walmart for blankets and space heaters.

[nycguydowntown]

no one is going to vote for Cuntaleeza ---she was asleep at the switch on 9/11 and like most morons in the Bush years that fuck up got her a job promotion where she fucked that up too---Cuomo my gov plays it right down the middle with a bit of progressive policies and sometimes supports the GOP---and he is very popular--his problem us unlike his younger, cuter brother Chris, he's not all warm and cuddly ---his personality is actually rather strange as he seems cold---plus, his live in girl is food Network star Sandra Lee who would be first lady!!

[gambit22121]

Mine is Chris Christie. While he's pro-rich and anti-gay marriage, he showed today that he doesn't care what party you're in. Incompetence and playing politics with people's lives, will not be tolerated. We might need someone like that to kick the ass of Congress.

[xbuzzerx]

no one is going to vote for Cuntaleeza ---she was asleep at the switch on 9/11 and like most morons in the Bush years that fuck up got her a job promotion where she fucked that up too---Cuomo my gov plays it right down the middle with a bit of progressive policies and sometimes supports the GOP---and he is very popular--his problem us unlike his younger, cuter brother Chris, he's not all warm and cuddly ---his personality is actually rather strange as he seems cold---plus, his live in girl is food Network star Sandra Lee who would be first lady!!

A newspaper described this scene as "eye-searing":



She also made a Hannukah cake that wasn't kosher.

[RazorzEdge88]

Andrew Cuomo is our governor in New York. He definitely wants to be president. I hope to hell he does not succeed in that ambition. He's not a particularly ethical guy. He's only as progressive as he has to be to get elected, but he is sort of the Democratic Romney, except not as maladroit. He will stay consistently on the progressive side of issues, but he holds those views to get elected, not because he believes in them with any particular conviction.

Oh, I'm glad you said it. I really, really don't want to see Cuomo get anywhere.

If there's anyone from NY I might like to see, it's Gillibrand.

I think it's because of recent ballot fights. He put a lot of political capital into defending them, and the big three passed with small majorities.

Maryland has a low unemployment rate (6.6%) compared to the national average and it is the highest earning state per capita. Those are things he can run on.

The buzz I keep hearing around him is aggravation with his tax policies. I honestly don't know much about it because I can't be bothered to follow Maryland politics given how horribly corrupt it is.

Bob McDonald; he was rumored to be on Romney's short list for VP. He seems to understand that VA is basically two states--North and South Virginia. He's well spoken, and has pleasant enough looks. He'll probably test the national waters, as he's out of office end of 2013, and cannot run for reelection.

It's the AG of VA that has huge political aspirations--Cucinnelli (sp?). That's one scary dude. However, his focus seems to be more on social issues, and I don't think that will bode well nationally. He reminds me a lot of Santorum.

Virginians I've talked to seem to like McDonnell. Cuccinelli is a total monster and I hope he crashes and burns when he runs for governor in 2013 (sounds like McAuliffe has a good chance of beating him).

[Kulindahr]

Kitzhaber? No way. I think he's actually a bit above his level of competency just being governor.

The only politician from Oregon I'd consider capable of being President would be Senator Ron Wyden.

[mightbe]

Jay Nixon. Blue-dog Dem. Don't especially like him. Unfortunately his only big positive is that he's not a Republican. As Jack said, he works with Republicans well, but that's more of a negative for me and has little future in politics.

Not a governor, but the only Missourian I'd like anywhere near the oval office is Claire McCaskill. Probably won't run herself (thank god; she wouldn't win and I don't like her THAT much), but might be a VP candidate in the future--she was on the short list for Obama. I'd be fine with her as VP. Nothing more.

JawHawk-I'd never really known who was Gov. of Kansas. Now I see that perhaps Nixon is not the worst in the middle Midwest. After reading his Wikipedia page I am thoroughly disgusted.

[mrbeebs]

As a liberal, I don't mind MS's Haley Barbour as far as republicans go (he left office months ago; I don't know anything about Phil Bryant).. I thought he stood a fighting chance in the 2012 field.

[cityboy-stl]

Jay Nixon of Missouri has reached his plateau. He's not going anywhere near DC. He worked pretty well with a republican House and Senate. Not such a bad guy, but he'll retire in four years.

OMG! For once I agree with Jack Springer.

[Jack Springer]

Jay Nixon. Blue-dog Dem. Don't especially like him. Unfortunately his only big positive is that he's not a Republican. As Jack said, he works with Republicans well, but that's more of a negative for me and has little future in politics.

Not a governor, but the only Missourian I'd like anywhere near the oval office is Claire McCaskill. Probably won't run herself (thank god; she wouldn't win and I don't like her THAT much), but might be a VP candidate in the future--she was on the short list for Obama. I'd be fine with her as VP. Nothing more.

JawHawk-I'd never really known who was Gov. of Kansas. Now I see that perhaps Nixon is not the worst in the middle Midwest. After reading his Wikipedia page I am thoroughly disgusted.

McCaskill would never hold up to an investigation of her past. She has way too much baggage. The games she played to get elected in 2012 would not work on the national level.

[loki81]

against anyone but Clinton, I'd probably vote for Christie... but I'm not sure he could win the primaries, if 2016 is anything like the 2012 primaries.

[chance1]

Andrew Cuomo is our governor in New York. He definitely wants to be president. I hope to hell he does not succeed in that ambition. He's not a particularly ethical guy. He's only as progressive as he has to be to get elected, but he is sort of the Democratic Romney, except not as maladroit. He will stay consistently on the progressive side of issues, but he holds those views to get elected, not because he believes in them with any particular conviction.

are there any NY politicians u like ?

Andrew Cuomo is a god to NYC gays - when he marched at Gay Pride 2 years ago men (and boys) were ripping off their clothes for him ready to service

He came back from political purgatory and began his term quite well, taking on special interests and doing what I would consider a Giuliani esque approach - practical - to managing the state

since then he has fallen back to old progressive ways - giving in to the unions and special interests he initially fought

love the "democratic romney" btw

and maladroit ???? WTF

I think he's more VP material

[JayHawk]

Brownback already tried running for President and failed miserably.

yeah I couldn't help but characterize his policies in the way I view them.

Mine is Chris Christie. While he's pro-rich and anti-gay marriage, he showed today that he doesn't care what party you're in. Incompetence and playing politics with people's lives, will not be tolerated. We might need someone like that to kick the ass of Congress.

His recent ability to discard the partisan and say the truth has me impressed. I still don't like his failure to simply endorse gay marriage when handed to him but I do understand his waffling. So lets just say I have my eye on him but I am not convinced yet. If I were to support a Christie the opposition would have to be pretty shitty. Also Obama showed up in Washington to make change as well. No single human being from the white house will make change. the only way Washington slightly changes is if public opinion tells the politicians they will pay a heavy price. kinda like the press the republicans were getting for the cliff. The cliff and going off it were everyone's failure but America would blame republicans. We the people are the only ones who can hold them accountable.

Jay Nixon. Blue-dog Dem. Don't especially like him. Unfortunately his only big positive is that he's not a Republican. As Jack said, he works with Republicans well, but that's more of a negative for me and has little future in politics.

Not a governor, but the only Missourian I'd like anywhere near the oval office is Claire McCaskill. Probably won't run herself (thank god; she wouldn't win and I don't like her THAT much), but might be a VP candidate in the future--she was on the short list for Obama. I'd be fine with her as VP. Nothing more.

JawHawk-I'd never really known who was Gov. of Kansas. Now I see that perhaps Nixon is not the worst in the middle Midwest. After reading his Wikipedia page I am thoroughly disgusted.

I honestly don't pay all that much attention to the Missouri side as it doesn't affect me so much. However, I can never resist the urge to get a dig in at Missouri. Jack loves it so and takes such great offense. <Shrug>

Brownback doesn't affect me much either besides disgust. I wont live here too terribly long. However it is a mystery to me how this state went from Kathleen Sebelius to Brownback .......

[GiancarloC]

No, but not for any qualification problem. He's perhaps the most qualified and experienced governor in the entire nation. Jerry Brown is older and I'm sure he won't consider another Presidential run after three attempts in the past. I think Jerry Brown will retire after he leaves governorship.

He's been excellent this time around and producing a balanced budget, as well as bringing job growth back to California... where our unemployment rate has gone down below 10%. He brought respectability back to this state, and now we have the prospect of having budget surpluses once again. Our deficit went down from a staggering $15 billion to $1.9 billion this year, and it may show surpluses in years to come.

And as far as what he can accomplish with a super majority... he's already accomplished a great without a super majority. California is fast becoming a serious lesson for every other state in the country with a deficit problem.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8AD1UI20121115

I guess this pulls another rug from under the feet of the California haters on here.

We could have a surplus in 2014-15 of $1 billion and in $9 billion in two years.

[xbuzzerx]

^ Thank god we didn't get that other lady. Ugh. Romney with ovaries.

[White Eagle]

A newspaper described this scene as "eye-searing":



She also made a Hannukah cake that wasn't kosher.

That looks really interesting, but I would use Cherry pie filling.

[Jack Springer]

I honestly don't pay all that much attention to the Missouri side as it doesn't affect me so much. However, I can never resist the urge to get a dig in at Missouri. Jack loves it so and takes such great offense. <Shrug>

Brownback doesn't affect me much either besides disgust. I wont live here too terribly long. However it is a mystery to me how this state went from Kathleen Sebelius to Brownback .......

You choose one of the strangest states in the USA to move to Jayhawk. One day you will realize that. If you look at only the history of the governors of Kansas you will see the same odd moves from liberal to conservative to liberal to conservative. Most republicans in Kansas are not really republican -- they call themselves that to get elected.

[xbuzzerx]

You choose one of the strangest states in the USA to move to Jayhawk. One day you will realize that. If you look at only the history of the governors of Kansas you will see the same odd moves from liberal to conservative to liberal to conservative. Most republicans in Kansas are not really republican -- they call themselves that to get elected.

That comes down to how you define Republican, and I think your same statement could be said variously, depending on the context, about almost any Republican. Some of the most virulent anti-abortion Bible belt politicians have come from Kansas, it's not exactly like Kansas is full of "barely Republican Republicans" like one might argue about some other states like Texas.

[palemale]

are there any NY politicians u like ?

None that are still alive. At one time, New York had some great politicians. The current crop are pretty pathetic.

Although I dislike him, I think Ed Koch was the best mayor NYC had in my lifetime, at least since I've been paying attention.

Congressman Nadler is a good guy, but not too effective.

I do like Senator Gillibrand, but don't see her as presidential material.

I liked Mario Cuomo, but I do not think he was a particularly good or effective governor.

Of the current crop of mayoral candidates, I think the best of the bunch (although not superstars) are Bill Thompson or John Lui.

Some of the City Council members are pretty good. I like Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy.

Bella Abzug was a GREAT congresswoman. Senator Moynihan was a good Senator. A real intellectual. When he and Al D'Amato were both US Senators, people used to say that Moynihan wrote more books than D'Amato read.

[Jack Springer]

That comes down to how you define Republican, and I think your same statement could be said variously, depending on the context, about almost any Republican. Some of the most virulent anti-abortion Bible belt politicians have come from Kansas, it's not exactly like Kansas is full of "barely Republican Republicans" like one might argue about some other states like Texas.

Kansas is different.

[palemale]

Kansas is different.

So is Mars.

[Kulindahr]

Kansas is different.

The question is what it's different from?

[Jack Springer]

So is Mars.

You get it.

[CoolBlue71]

Didnt LePage tell Obama to go Fuck himself when Obama didnt support him back in 2010 or something?

No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Caprio

Rhode Island gubernatorial election

Main article: Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2010

In 2010, Caprio was the Democratic nominee for the Rhode Island gubernatorial election. He ran on the platform of advancing small business.[12] After learning that President Barack Obama would not endorse him in the election, Caprio said that Obama could "take his endorsement and really shove it."[13] "The Huffington Post" suggested that Obama did not endorse Caprio out of respect for Lincoln Chafee, the Independent nominee who had endorsed Obama in 2008.[13] Caprio alienated some liberal voters by meeting with the National Republican Committee in Washington earlier that year, during a potentially bruising Democratic primary, for reasons he has yet to fully explain.

[refujiunderground]

chris christie has 2016 in the bag.

[CoolBlue71]

I think any governors from the Republican Party who go on to win the presidency will have emerged from base states for the Republican Party for a general presidential election.

I think the same with governors from the Democratic Party who go on to win the presidency will have emerged from base states for the Democratic Party for a general presidential election.

Republican base states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Democratic base states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Koch brothers would love to get Wisconsin. But, only if this country turns totally into the hellhole of their evil vision.

As for such states as Arkansas and West Virginia, they're still electing Democratic governors. (Montana as well.)

The battlegrounds/bellwethers, not mentioned, make me less confident. (Perhaps they're considered a better strategy for selection with a vice-presidential running mate.)

Also keep in mind this: Over the last 100 years (kind estimate), Bill Clinton (D-Arkansas) was the only president of the United States whose home state did not rank among the Top 20 in population.

[CoolBlue71]

I do like Senator [Kirsten] Gillibrand, but don't see her as presidential material.

I don't think people know enough about New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand who, in 2012, won re-election to her first full term. I don't know enough of her, but would suggest keeping an eye on her for years to come. I'm impressed by the fact that she carried nearly every county in the state of New York and received more than 70 percent of the statewide vote. That is difficult to do in a state so large as New York ... and in a presidential year (in which the state gave the president 63 percent).

[JockBoy87]

Thanks coolblue, you always point out neat facts.