What happened to the cool, new governors voters elected last year?
That’s the question Jon Stewart sought to answer last night on The Daily Show, noting how many fresh GOP governors have fallen from favor with their constituents as they’ve pushed for broad, controversial changes in the first few months in office. As TPM reported this week, polls have shown GOP governors in three Midwestern states — John Kasich (R-OH), Scott Walker (R-WI), and Rick Snyder (R-MI) — losing in hypothetical do-over elections.
On the campaign trail, Republican governors sounded personable and levelheaded, Stewart said.
“They didn’t talk down to you like they were your dad,” Stewart said. “They were more like the cool new guy your divorced mom brings home.”
“He tells you to call him ‘Rob,’ and brings you a remote controlled car the first time he meets you,” he added.
However, by pursuing contentious policies that would radically alter the political landscape in their states, those governors have quickly morphed into weird, domineering parents, Stewart said. As an example, Stewart cited Maine’s tea partying Governor, Paul LePage, who this week announced he was removing a mural depicting labor struggles from the state’s Department of Labor.
“He’s like the weird stepdad who, when you get home, he’s replaced all your Nirvana posters with pictures of naval battles,” Stewart said.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Gov Hurts | ||||
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