MD: Hogan with nearly 60% approval rating

[Miles]

Article.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Also of note, independent redistricting is at 73/21 and they support marijuana legalization 52/42.

[smoltchanov]

Partially - a sympathy because of his illness. But he is not a firebrand, and not too bad generally...

[/]

I hate to say it, but his cancer probably plays a large role in this.

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

Well, this is a surprise.

[Skye]

I hate to say it, but his cancer probably plays a large role in this.

It's probably this.

[MT Treasurer]

Yeah... how can a Republican in Maryland have a 54% Republican rating? After all, we know that only NH is a super-duper-mega-ultro-turbo-bipartisan-and-elastic state, amirite? It must be because of his cancer!

[Skye]

Yeah... how can a Republican in Maryland have a 54% Republican rating? After all, we know that only NH is a super-duper-mega-ultro-turbo-bipartisan-and-elastic state, amirite? It must be because of his cancer!

That cancer is probably a factor in his +40 approval rating doesn't mean it's entirely responsible for it.

[MT Treasurer]

Yeah... how can a Republican in Maryland have a 54% Republican rating? After all, we know that only NH is a super-duper-mega-ultro-turbo-bipartisan-and-elastic state, amirite? It must be because of his cancer!

That cancer is probably a factor in his +40 approval rating doesn't mean it's entirely responsible for it.

True, but was Hagan really unpopular before he got cancer? Don't think so. Most voters didn't know anything about him when the last poll was conducted (in February). Also, I wouldn't read too much into one single poll.

[ElectionsGuy]

Good for him. He's been an (overall) above average Governor for such an entrenched blue state. If Independent districting actually happens, Republicans can be looking at an extra seat there and the map could look a lot cleaner.

[Bojack Horseman]

It's probably mostly because he's governed the same way as, say, Charlie Baker has: as a blue-state Republican. Bruce Rauner never got that message and was your typical confrontational, cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face Republican governor.

[The_Doctor]

Hogan's good at social media and does a lot to take steps that attract a lot of media attention. Unlike Ehrlich, Hogan seems to be adept at image management which is a big reason he's so popular. The Goucher poll also shows a lot of Marylanders have shifted from the Ehrlich days and side with Hogan on a lot of issues more than they did Bob Ehrlich.

He also governs in a way that side steps social issues and focuses on "good governance." So Marylanders love it (he recently shut down a corrupt Baltimore prison, for example, and made a big deal out of it). He's a conservative (look at his stands) but he's smart enough to know when to flaunt it and when to shut up.

He'd probably win re-election barring a Republican President being extremely unpopular, a scandal, or somehow, the state Democrats nominating someone extremely strong.

[Kingpoleon]

Rep. Anthony Brown or Martin O'Malley are the only ones who could defeat him. Brown because he's experienced at this now and O'Malley for campaigning skill and experience.

[sg0508]

Ehrlich wasn't necessary unpopular, but he was just a bit too far right socially.  To his credit though, he stayed true to his beliefs on some issues which cost him support.  Of course, he lost re-election.

We'll see how Hogan does in a few years, assuming he's healthy and running for a second term.  The GOP's ceiling in MD is very, very low.  I can't see anyone breaking 53% there on the GOP's side.  It will be interesting to see if Hogan could break more into the African American community and garnish more support.  That's part of the reason why the floor for Democrats there is high.

[Miles]

Rep. Anthony Brown or Martin O'Malley are the only ones who could defeat him. Brown because he's experienced at this now and O'Malley for campaigning skill and experience.

I'm not sure that line of reasoning you're using with Brown always works.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Hogan's good at social media and does a lot to take steps that attract a lot of media attention. Unlike Ehrlich, Hogan seems to be adept at image management which is a big reason he's so popular. The Goucher poll also shows a lot of Marylanders have shifted from the Ehrlich days and side with Hogan on a lot of issues more than they did Bob Ehrlich.

He also governs in a way that side steps social issues and focuses on "good governance." So Marylanders love it (he recently shut down a corrupt Baltimore prison, for example, and made a big deal out of it). He's a conservative (look at his stands) but he's smart enough to know when to flaunt it and when to shut up.

He'd probably win re-election barring a Republican President being extremely unpopular, a scandal, or somehow, the state Democrats nominating someone extremely strong.

Didn't he get some praise for his handling of the Baltimore riots? A quick response, moving his HQ into the city, etc. probably helped prevent it from becoming another Ferguson-like situation, which people would (rightfully) be relieved about.

[Gass3268]

The numbers on the independent redistricting are discouraging, but then again a similar measure was defeated in 2012. Hopefully the same will happen again. No reason Democratic states should give up their ability to gerrymander if Republicans won't in their states. 

[RRusso1982]

This article claims he is unbeatable.  Just ask Bob Ehrlich what high approval ratings mean for job security.  He had a nearly 60% approval rating in November, 2006 and still lost.

[RINO Tom]

It's probably mostly because he's governed the same way as, say, Charlie Baker has: as a blue-state Republican. Bruce Rauner never got that message and was your typical confrontational, cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face Republican governor.

I understand your partisan bias, but that's just not true.  Rauner was elected - regardless of what anyone says - because Illinoisans do not like where this state is.  And they haven't liked it for a long time.  Taxes continue to rise along with spending and the debt.  Unemployment is ridiculously high.  Businesses are leaving for places like Indiana, and everywhere outside of Chicagoland and some rich surrounding "suburbs" of Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign are REALLY hurting (I don't care where the majority of the population is, those people are human beings who the governor can't just leave to waste away) ... is Rauner supposed to do NOTHING to try to fix the state's problems?  Everything he tries gets blocked by the retarded legislature that got us in this mess.  And now he's some right-winger?  GMAFB.

[Kingpoleon]

Rep. Anthony Brown or Martin O'Malley are the only ones who could defeat him. Brown because he's experienced at this now and O'Malley for campaigning skill and experience.

I'm not sure that line of reasoning you're using with Brown always works.

Crist is a better example.

Also, you prove my point. Baker lost in 2010(at a gubernatorial level), giving him experience to win in 2014. If he had been able to and won a Congressional seat in 2012, he would have cracked 55% and not had a primary challenge crack ten, much less twenty-five.

[Green Line]

It's probably mostly because he's governed the same way as, say, Charlie Baker has: as a blue-state Republican. Bruce Rauner never got that message and was your typical confrontational, cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face Republican governor.

I understand your partisan bias, but that's just not true.  Rauner was elected - regardless of what anyone says - because Illinoisans do not like where this state is.  And they haven't liked it for a long time.  Taxes continue to rise along with spending and the debt.  Unemployment is ridiculously high.  Businesses are leaving for places like Indiana, and everywhere outside of Chicagoland and some rich surrounding "suburbs" of Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign are REALLY hurting (I don't care where the majority of the population is, those people are human beings who the governor can't just leave to waste away) ... is Rauner supposed to do NOTHING to try to fix the state's problems?  Everything he tries gets blocked by the retarded legislature that got us in this mess.  And now he's some right-winger?  GMAFB.

Couldn't agree more. Nobody can say Rauner's ideas havent worked out because he hasn't gotten an opportunity to get a single piece of his agenda implemented.  The general assembly has blocked EVERYTHING, absolutely no budging. And unlike Rauner, this assembly is not representing what the people voted for. Their districts are so ridiculously gerrymandered there are no consequences for them blocking every single thing.

[ElectionsGuy]

The numbers on the independent redistricting are discouraging, but then again a similar measure was defeated in 2012. Hopefully the same will happen again. No reason Democratic states should give up their ability to gerrymander if Republicans won't in their states. 

But you want the Republicans to give up their gerrymandering, so you should want Democrats to give up theirs.

[warandwar]

Hogan's good at social media and does a lot to take steps that attract a lot of media attention. Unlike Ehrlich, Hogan seems to be adept at image management which is a big reason he's so popular. The Goucher poll also shows a lot of Marylanders have shifted from the Ehrlich days and side with Hogan on a lot of issues more than they did Bob Ehrlich.

He also governs in a way that side steps social issues and focuses on "good governance." So Marylanders love it (he recently shut down a corrupt Baltimore prison, for example, and made a big deal out of it). He's a conservative (look at his stands) but he's smart enough to know when to flaunt it and when to shut up.

He'd probably win re-election barring a Republican President being extremely unpopular, a scandal, or somehow, the state Democrats nominating someone extremely strong.

Of course all this only applies if you don't live in Baltimore. Good social media presence? Not when you tweet a map showing where your macadam hard-on is being spent that leaves out Baltimore (there was a hole in Maryland, basically). Not when at the following press conference you say plainly that no transportation project money will be spent in Baltimore City. Not when you announce a new youth prison around the same time as you cancel a mass transit project. Good handling of the rebellion? Not when you have to deal with a curfew and an emergency law that kept people in prison without charges for 47 hours! Good on social issues? Not when you veto a bill decriminalizing marijuana paraphernalia (keeping weed decriminalized for (white) people who don't live in Baltimore) and one repealing limits on paroled felons voting.

Hogan governs only for the Baltimore-hating (minus the Ravens), petty-ass suburbanites who voted for him, and he knows it. No wonder you're praised for your sanctimonious, solve none of the underlying issues approach to the Rebellion. You and your base don't give a single solitary f about West Baltimore until they get scared that Camden Yards and M+T won't be "safe".

-end rant-

[Miles]

WaPo/UMD has Hogan at 61/22.

[Gass3268]

The numbers on the independent redistricting are discouraging, but then again a similar measure was defeated in 2012. Hopefully the same will happen again. No reason Democratic states should give up their ability to gerrymander if Republicans won't in their states. 

But you want the Republicans to give up their gerrymandering, so you should want Democrats to give up theirs.

I'd give up Maryland for Pennsylvania and Illinois for Ohio. That would be a good start.