Why did Tom Corbett (R-PA) Lose?

[Kevin]

I know others have probably asked this question but why did Tom Corbett lose reelection? As I am having a hard time understanding the political and electoral reasons that led to his defeat. Especially given the climate this cycle.

From what I do understand it had something to do with "education cuts" and his handling of Penn State? But even more controversial GOP Governors this year such as Brownback, Scott, LePage, and Snyder all managed to decisively win reelection. And otherwise in many aspects Corbett seemed more effective a governor then they were(at least early on in his term) So why wasn't he able to get a 2nd term?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I really think it was Penn State more than anything else. Besides that, he was very similar in style to LePage, who survived.

I think there's a chance he could have held on vs. Schwartz or McCord, but a non-controversial centrist manager type like Wolf? No way.

[Del Tachi]

The GOP national apparatus gave up on Corbett a long time ago, and resources were never really funneled his way as they were for LePage, Brownback or Snyder. 

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The GOP national apparatus gave up on Corbett a long time ago, and resources were never really funneled his way as they were for LePage, Brownback or Snyder. 

The RGA gave him millions of dollars throughout the campaign.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Because he is pro-pedophile.

[IceSpear]

The GOP national apparatus gave up on Corbett a long time ago, and resources were never really funneled his way as they were for LePage, Brownback or Snyder.  

The RGA gave him millions of dollars throughout the campaign.

Yeah, Christie funnelling $6 million to Corbett is a strange way of "giving up on him", that's for sure.

It was for multiple reasons:

1) The education issue. Democrats here really framed this well unlike in other states, and have relentlessly pounded Corbett on the issue for years now. It eventually began to define him.

2) Corbett's general ineffectiveness/incompetence. I'm not sure where you're getting the fact that he was more effective than those other governors. Virtually all of his initiatives (pension reform, liquor privatization, lottery privatization) were shot down by his own party in the legislature.

3) The Penn State scandal. Though some people think this is the end all be all of Pennsylvania politics, that isn't the case. Still, it did damage him once it occured and probably hurt him at the margins in this election.

4) No real base/The Blanche Lincoln Problem. Basically, Corbett could've chosen to be a Tom Ridge type moderate and consensus builder who would piss off the base, but enjoy wide bipartisan popularity across the state and be re-elected easily. Considering he won re-election as Attorney General even in 2008, it's not like this was outside the realm of possibility. Alternatively, he could've chosen to be a Scott Walker scorched earth type who shoved the entire Tea Party agenda down the state's throat. It would've ensured he faced an extremely difficult re-election, but he at least would've had his base solidly behind him, and in a year like this, that could've been enough. Instead, he pissed off Dems/indies with things like #1 while rejecting relatively simple ways to get "moderate cred" like supporting Medicaid expansion (comparing gay marriage to incest and telling women getting vaginal probed they "should just close their eyes" doesn't help much either), while simultaneously depressing his base with his weak sauce efforts at reform, made even worse by the fact that they were all stymied.

As for those other governors:

Brownback - Deep red state, still barely survived.
The Criminal - Swing state, but reddish in midterms. Also, apparently Floridians prefer a criminal over a flop flopper.
LePage - Vote splitting, plus he and the indie tended to dogpile on Michaud.
Snyder - No idea here. But Snyder was definitely more politically savvy and competent than Corbett, taking chances to establish himself as a moderate like expanding Medicaid and vetoing voter ID. He also never had any stupid social issue gaffes. Still, after ramming through right to work overnight in a lame duck session after he lied and said he didn't support it, I'm still surprised it worked, particularly in Michigan of all places. I guess Wolf was also a much stronger opponent than Schauer (and Michaud, Crist, and maybe Davis for that matter).

[Maxwell]

Probably because he was a thoroughly incompetent manager who couldn't even get his party in line on things that should've been basic like liquor privatization.

[Bojack Horseman]

Hopefully this played into it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq7Iqj0BfDQ

[President Johnson]

His communication shortcomings are the biggest reason. Corbett didn't explain his policies well enough. He by himself admitted during the first debate, that he did not communicate the best. And that is, unfortunately, true. Education is one of the big issues here, where he countered the attacks too little and too late. He should have communicated better in 2011 on that issue; not three years later. And he set some wrong priorites, such as the lottery privatizion or Voter ID. At least he got some things done; his infrastructure bill, spending cuts and Medicaid expansion derserve some credit. I think he was also disliked for his kind of humor and his mocking remarks (gay marriage, abortion, drugs like this one here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2otvEaaA9H8....).
I regard his loss a little bit sad, because he did a better job than many other GOP governors. Scott or Brownback for example.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Easy.  He had union bosses and Democrats calling for his head during his entire term (like Walker, Snyder, Kasich, etc.), but he failed to convince voters of the necessity of his reforms like the others did.

[SWE]

^lol

[IceSpear]

Easy.  He had union bosses and Democrats calling for his head during his entire term (like Walker, Snyder, Kasich, etc.), but he failed to convince voters of the necessity of his reforms like the others did.

Not only couldn't he convince voters, he couldn't convince his own party in the legislature.