Governors are the executive "deciders" (to quote a four year old - err, I mean, the president) in our great states. A
governor is also a device used to measure and regulate the speed of a machine. It fits, doesn't it? Our machine is 3.7 million square miles and colored a political dark
purple. If we study our governors, we might measure our nation's political leanings pretty accurately. Republicans currently control twenty-eight of the nation's fifty governors seats. Democrats hold the remaining twenty-two. Though everyone has their own opinion of which states are up for grabs, there are
at least twelve Republican states that could turn blue. Since I'm only one person, living in one state, I can't check the pulse of the other forty-nine. But you can. I'd like to talk about my state's governor's race, in hopes that you'll get involved in yours as well.
The
Honorable James A. (Jim) Gibbons:
"Tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals [in Hollywood should ... go make their movies and their music and whine somewhere else ... It's just too damn bad we didn't buy them a ticket [to become human shields in Iraq]."
"Anybody who is against that [corporate-funded celebrations] obviously must be a communist."
"Donald Rumsfeld will once again serve as a superb Defense Secretary. Without a doubt, the United States will speak in a unified voice of strength, reason and diplomacy with the likes of Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and now, Donald Rumsfeld." - Jim Gibbons
That's what Nevadans have to look forward to if this guy gets elected in November. Rated 0% by NARAL and 7% by the ACLU, Gibbons is definitely a right-wing wanker. And Nevada deserves better.
The bright side?
Our nominee, Dina Titus is revving up an aggressive campaign, just off her primary win in mid-August. She's smart, likeable, and very articulate. She's challenged Gibbons to six debates, but the suddenly camera-shy Gibbons has only agreed to three. He's barely campaigning now. Maybe he can feel the impending blue wave too acutely?
"Nevada voters want a productive discussion of issues important to this state - issues like education, access to health care, government ethics and preservation of our natural resources," Titus said, responding to Gibbons first campaign ad. "It's disappointing to see a name-calling negative, and while that may be the way things are done in Washington, I think Nevada's voters deserve better."
A Wall Street Journal/Zogby Interative poll has Titus in the lead at 47% to Gibbons' 44%, a reversal from the previous Gibbons 45-40 lead. Yes, it's a Zogby Interative poll. No, it doesn't exactly MEAN anything. But it's also one of the first polls to come out since the primary. If nothing else, the Nevada governor's race is definitely a toss-up - and a strong dem is definitely in the race.
Nevada deserves a great leader, not someone who will pander to the red meat of the Republican party. If you can donate to the campaign, do so today. If you can volunteer, do that, too.
And now, imagine November: Democrats sweep the House, maybe even the Senate, and then late in the game, we learn we've also captured the nation's governorships. Let's make it a reality. What's going on in your state? What can we do to help?