Republican Governors Discuss Strategy

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031122/APA/311220577

Republican governors, relishing their dominance from the White House to state legislatures, discussed strategy Saturday for expanding their power in next year's state and national elections.

They celebrated demographics showing more voters identifying themselves as Republican, agreed the economy is gathering strength and debated whether the turmoil in Iraq could damage President Bush's re-election bid. But few at the Republican Governors Association gathering wanted to dwell on a less comforting fact, that in every big election this year, voters have ousted the party in power.

"America's still a closely divided country," Colorado Gov. Bill Owens acknowledged. "But it's starting to look more Republican than Democrat."

Republicans won three of the four elections for governor this fall - Arnold Schwarzenegger in California's recall, Haley Barbour in Mississippi and Ernie Fletcher in Kentucky.

In Louisiana, however, Democrat Kathleen Blanco won an open GOP governor's seat. But Blanco ran more like a Republican than a Democrat, said Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 2004, who gave the governors a preaching-to-the-choir speech about Bush's accomplishments. He scoffed at any notion that these elections showed an anti-incumbent mood.
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[jiacinto]

1. Well

KY--Patton was extremely unpopular. That's what happened there. People voted against Chandler, not necessarily for Fletcher.

MS--Barbour was a very good candidate. Very conservative state. Musgrove was lucky to have stayed in it.

CA--Davis was horribly unpopular. Even Satan would have beaten him.

Those three races turned on those issues. But the media won't report that.

Then again, having won three out of four, the GOP does get bragging rights.

[aquart]

2. And what, precisely does this position of eminence win them?

More money from Washington?

Or a chance to increase taxes versus closing schools and firing state employees?

Yeah, they're fixed real good. Bush fixed 'em.

[leesa]

3. Davis was not that disliked, we were only told that by the RW media.

There was clear evidence of voter fraud. There was over the top RW media bias for Arnie. If you want to give credit to thieves for their "success" then I guess you fit right in with what's going on in America.