Who is the Best Governor in America?

[Coolface Sock #42069]

Our own Bruce Rauner has done about the best job he could, but the obvious answer is John Kasich.

[Figueira]

Let's dispel with this notion that Baker is a remarkably good governor or is popular because he's good. The Baker Train starts and stops at 'inoffensive'.

You are entitled to your  (very partisan, BTW) opinion, but i heartily disagree (with 70+% of Massachusetts citizens with me...)

I don't hate moderates or people with views or governing styles that aren't All Leftist, All the Time, by any means. I just dislike cute Western Ukrainians. Jerry Brown has similar tendencies coming from a social-liberal rather than liberal-conservative direction, which is part of why I'm not as crazy about him as most left-of-center Atlasians, despite recognizing that he's one of the best current governors because the competition is so across-the-board pathetic.

The thing about Baker specifically is that he's been in office for over a year and a half and neither I nor anyone else I know, many of whom happily voted for him, can name anything substantial that he's actually done, in particular anything he's done to address Massachusetts's really serious regional inequality problems, which I maintain are far and away the single most important issue facing this overwhelmingly macrocephalic state. Deval Patrick was godawful for the same reason.

People like Baker because they have no strong reason to dislike him. He doesn't have a 70% 'Great Governor!' rating, he has a 70% 'nice guy ff ' rating.

Well, i frankly doubt that Baker will be able to implement his own program in overwhelmingly (4:1 - 5:1) Democratic legislature of Massachusetts, or that he even had illusions of that.... So his "Mr. nice guy" image is only natural, IMHO... David Freudenthal was very popular Democratic governor of ultra-Republican Wyoming, BTW, and Jodi Rell - very popular Republican governor of Democratic Connecticut....))))

The things Nathan is proposing aren't exactly partisan Republican things. And if you think that his agenda is something that only Republicans would agree to, then doesn't it follow that anyone remotely left-of-center would dislike him?

Anyway, I agree with Nathan's analysis.

[Deblano]

Republican: Sandoval and Haslam.
Democrat: Jerry Brown and Dayton.

[smoltchanov]

Let's dispel with this notion that Baker is a remarkably good governor or is popular because he's good. The Baker Train starts and stops at 'inoffensive'.

You are entitled to your  (very partisan, BTW) opinion, but i heartily disagree (with 70+% of Massachusetts citizens with me...)

I don't hate moderates or people with views or governing styles that aren't All Leftist, All the Time, by any means. I just dislike cute Western Ukrainians. Jerry Brown has similar tendencies coming from a social-liberal rather than liberal-conservative direction, which is part of why I'm not as crazy about him as most left-of-center Atlasians, despite recognizing that he's one of the best current governors because the competition is so across-the-board pathetic.

The thing about Baker specifically is that he's been in office for over a year and a half and neither I nor anyone else I know, many of whom happily voted for him, can name anything substantial that he's actually done, in particular anything he's done to address Massachusetts's really serious regional inequality problems, which I maintain are far and away the single most important issue facing this overwhelmingly macrocephalic state. Deval Patrick was godawful for the same reason.

People like Baker because they have no strong reason to dislike him. He doesn't have a 70% 'Great Governor!' rating, he has a 70% 'nice guy ff ' rating.

Well, i frankly doubt that Baker will be able to implement his own program in overwhelmingly (4:1 - 5:1) Democratic legislature of Massachusetts, or that he even had illusions of that.... So his "Mr. nice guy" image is only natural, IMHO... David Freudenthal was very popular Democratic governor of ultra-Republican Wyoming, BTW, and Jodi Rell - very popular Republican governor of Democratic Connecticut....))))

The things Nathan is proposing aren't exactly partisan Republican things. And if you think that his agenda is something that only Republicans would agree to, then doesn't it follow that anyone remotely left-of-center would dislike him?

Anyway, I agree with Nathan's analysis.

Of course - not. But partisanship is much stronger in US now, then 2-3 decades ago. So - it plays a role  anyway..

[Lachi]

Kasich is downright atrocious. He might not be the absolute worst Republican Governor (all are terrible, btw), but he's still a right wing extremist like the rest of his party. It's hilarious how many "progressives" have a favorable opinion of an anti-worker, anti-LGBT POS like John Kasich.

Where do you get this idea that Kasich is this sort of far-right guy? He is pretty moderate from what I've seen.

[LLR]

Kasich is downright atrocious. He might not be the absolute worst Republican Governor (all are terrible, btw), but he's still a right wing extremist like the rest of his party. It's hilarious how many "progressives" have a favorable opinion of an anti-worker, anti-LGBT POS like John Kasich.

Where do you get this idea that Kasich is this sort of far-right guy? He is pretty moderate from what I've seen.

Two words: Planned Parenthood

[Kingpoleon]

Kasich is downright atrocious. He might not be the absolute worst Republican Governor (all are terrible, btw), but he's still a right wing extremist like the rest of his party. It's hilarious how many "progressives" have a favorable opinion of an anti-worker, anti-LGBT POS like John Kasich.

Where do you get this idea that Kasich is this sort of far-right guy? He is pretty moderate from what I've seen.

Two words: Planned Parenthood

... Please be joking.

[KingSweden]

Republican: Sandoval and Haslam.
Democrat: Jerry Brown and Dayton.

Actually, I'd be inclined to agree with this

[100% pro-life no matter what]

This all comes down to what your policy preferences are.  I want a staunch conservative who won't stop fighting, so I'll say:

Walker, McCrory, Pence, Abbott, and Haley.  Haslam has done a good job, but I wish he were a little more conservative.

Best Democratic governor: Unquestionably Bel Edwards.

[Buffalo Bill]

Kasich

[Figueira]

Kasich is downright atrocious. He might not be the absolute worst Republican Governor (all are terrible, btw), but he's still a right wing extremist like the rest of his party. It's hilarious how many "progressives" have a favorable opinion of an anti-worker, anti-LGBT POS like John Kasich.

Where do you get this idea that Kasich is this sort of far-right guy? He is pretty moderate from what I've seen.

He isn't "far right" but he's pretty darn conservative. He just ran a moderate hero campaign for President.

[Heisenberg]

Kasich is downright atrocious. He might not be the absolute worst Republican Governor (all are terrible, btw), but he's still a right wing extremist like the rest of his party. It's hilarious how many "progressives" have a favorable opinion of an anti-worker, anti-LGBT POS like John Kasich.

Where do you get this idea that Kasich is this sort of far-right guy? He is pretty moderate from what I've seen.

Two words: Planned Parenthood

I actually know someone IRL who is VERY liberal, but said that if Kasich was the Republican nominee that they would be completely undecided in the general (before he defunded PP in Ohio). Then, when he defunded it, that person on the spot HATED Kasich.