GOP governors' meeting an early 'dress rehearsal' for potential 2016 candidates

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, center; Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, left, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in Boca Raton, Fla.(AP)

The annual meeting for Republican governors that concludes this weekend has been a showcase for the partys big midterm wins -- and the place for lots of behind-the-scenes jockeying by several of the partys top-tier, potential 2016 White House candidates.

Republicans governors are on a roll, winning a net total of two seats on Nov. 4 and pulling off four victories in heavily Democratic states, which has donors and strategists suggesting they have the early advantage over potential White House candidates off Capitol Hill.

They also used their success at the four-day event at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, in Florida, to tout the idea that governors are best suited for the White House because they already have experience in running a sizable government.

Were better at it, New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie told reporters, taking aim at President Obama, who won in 2008 as a first-term senator. "The American people are done with that experiment, of having somebody come out of a legislative body who's never run anything before."

The governors are also free of Congress low approval rating, which poses a problem for such GOP Sens. as Marco Rubio, Florida; Rand Paul, Kentucky; Ted Cruz, Texas, and others should they chose to run.

Caleb Burns, a Republican strategist and partner in the Washington law firm Wiley Rein, thinks governors have a built-in advantage over candidates from the legislative branch because they can more easily own their records and campaign positions.

They decide whether to sign a bill into law or veto it, which clearly and unequivocally stakes out their position on that issue, he told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.Legislators dont have that same luxury.They often vote for bills at the insistence of their leadership. Bills get amended by the other chamber, and bills may or may not get signed into law.

Still, Burns says the next two years might change that dynamic because Republicans will control the Senate, giving congressional Republicans an opportunity to go beyond simply being the anti-Obama party to developing and passing legislation that affirmatively articulates the Republican platform.

Christie was among the biggest winners at the Florida event, having led the Republican Governors Association this year.

Read more here:
GOP governors' meeting an early 'dress rehearsal' for potential 2016 candidates

Related Posts

Comments are closed.