Many of the major states in the US are headed by governors who aren’t well respected by many. It is hard to pick who is the absolute worst. Rick Perry of Texas? Jeb Bush of Florida? Haley Barbour of Mississippi? Mitt Romney of Massachussetts? Bob Taft of Ohio?
I think I’ll have to go with my own Rick Perry. Mr. Perry’s comments about gay people should leave the state are slightly more reprehensible than Jeb’s prostitution for the religious right with Terri Schiavo. Plus, Mr. Perry has no solution for the school finance problem in Texas, he simply doesn’t want to be blamed for the new taxes which will result.
While these may be bad, they are outclassed by any who sat by when witch trials were going. Not sure if they did, though, in the U.S., or if they were simply ignored.
Apples and aardvarks, Scott. When the witch trials were going on, the US didn’t exist and the closest we had to ‘governor’ was the head of a colony operating on a Royal Charter.
If I’m not mistaken, the OP wants to limit this to people who were governors in a recongnizably modern sense.
What are the standards by which we judge something like this. While you and I may find Perry reprehensible, I’m sure someone out there is saying “right on!” Is this something we judge based on their ability to get their agenda put into effect, or statements made that the average person would find to be in poor taste?
While I am a proud liberal democrat, I noticed that many on your list were Republicans.
I won’t say the worst, but Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Hes done a lot of really good things for the state, but its turning into a police state. The road blocks are ridiculous, not just holiday weekends, but ALL the time, combine that with the border patrol check points and you can barely go to work without having to prove your legal, insured and sober. His proposal to have breathalyzer interlocks installed on every car in the state is quite insane, especially when every single person in the state would have to buy one for $1200 for each vehicle they register.
Romney of Massachusettes is a nice guy. Gutting the state hospitals that provide services that aren’t profitable for a private company. Thats my biggest beef with him, my mother works at a state hospital, and her staff has been cut in half over the past 3 years.
If we don’t limit it to current governors, John Engler of Michigan gets my vote. He squandered a billion dollar rainy day fund like a drunken sailor. He mandated that the state buy its computers in a no-bid contract with EDS, which after he left office just happened to put him on their payroll. He took a revenue generating state service, the liquor distribution, and took a big loss just to let his cronies in the liquor industry make it big. He was Michigan’s answer to Boss Hogg, and that was more than just in physique.
I blamed Perry because he decided to pander to the religious right rather than be outraged that the legislature didn’t fix school finance. Perry was scared of his possible challenge from Hutchison and decided to take a very low road and whore himself rather than address the far more important issues. Perry didn’t provide any leadership on school finance nor any other major issue facing his state.
What I’m looking for is a set of standards to make the judgement. I agree that Perry was pandering. But some hypothetical person might say he’s standing up for “family values.”
Before I nominate someone I need to know what to look for. Someone who holds the same values as I do but squanders opportunities to pass legislation I approve of could be considered a bad governor too.
Gov. Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky. Elected in 2003 by promising to clean the governor’s mansion up after Gov. Paul Patton’s inability to keep his pants closed, he’s currently in a lot of hot water over possibly illegal hiring practices in the Transportation Cabinet.
Basically, his deputy Chief of Staff and several other high-ranking aides got caught giving merit system jobs to people vetted by the county Republican Parties. The state AG (who is probably also trying to soften the ground up a bit for his own run in 2007) is conducting a full-scale investigation.
Also, Fletcher basically forced a “tax modernization” plan on the state that brings in no new money while the state teeters on the edge of insolvency. He raised the cigarette and alcohol taxes while doing nothing to deal with unemployment.
He’s the first Republican governor in 30 years, and at this rate he’ll be the last for another 30 years.
The governor of Mass. during the Salem trials was Sir William Phips, and, in May of 1692, he did set up a special court to try witchcraft. To his credit, though, he did realize the trials had gotten out of control, and dismantled the court and pardoned the people who had been convicted.
Ohio Bob Taft R 19% 74%
Alaska Frank Murkowski R 27% 66%
Washington Christine Gregoire D 34% 58%
Michigan Jennifer Granholm D 36% 57%
Missouri Matt Blunt R 33% 57%
California Arnold Schwarzenegger R 40% 56%
New York George Pataki R 36% 56%
Maine John Baldacci D 37% 55%
Mississippi Haley Barbour R 37% 55%
Illinois Rod Blagojevich D 36% 54%
