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I get Taft and Blanco.  I think the only reason Sanford is at the bottom of the list is Time's efforts to give him an early knock before he starts up a Presidential bid.

Isnt it lucky that Blanco has Taft???  Just about any other time in this nations history she mnight have been the worst of her generation.

I saw a string of moderates who managed to strattle the divide and bring and find common ground to bring both sides together. I think that was the theme they had in mind here.

I think activists are the always the first to find some hidden motive or agenda.

The CATO institute serves a purpose but they obviously have a bias toward certain principles. To use CATO's grading as a standard bearer for what makes a good politician or policy is, in fact, biased. I'm the Center for AMerican Progress would grade these matters quite differently and the Brookings Institute would probably be the average of the two.

That's my opinion. I have no axes to grind so my ho-hum point of view may not be so popular here. But it's still a fair assessment.

You can't claim bias and then compare them to the highly partisan, Libertarian Cato Institute! Come on!

Time used more than just taxes to come to its conclusions.

Only raw liberal bias can account for such a thing.

What an absolute joke...

But he who laughs last laughs best. When Mark Sanford ascends to the Presidency someday, we can all look back and laugh.

Is the Cato ranking based just on taxes, or on a more general libertarianism or were other factors involved? Huckabee has raised taxes, to be sure, but he's also cut them. In some ways, the tax cut/hike combo was not good for the state--he cut already very low property taxes, and raised already high sales taxes.

There are other reasons to give Huckabee a low grade that have little or nothing to do with taxes.

So a libertarian think tank doesn't like taxes...shocking.  These are also the same people who want to privatize the fire department.  

Top 10:

Bush (R-FL)

Perry (R-TX)

Barbour (R-MS)

Sanford (R-SC)

Romney (R-MA)

Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

Bredesen (D-TN)

Manchin (D-WV)

Richardson (D-NM)

Ehrlich (R-MD)

Bottom 5:

Taft (RINO-OH)

Blanco (D-LA)

Rendell (D-PA)

Gregoire (D-WA)

Granholm (D-MI)

You can't claim Ahnuld as an "R" but not take Mr. "lower approval ratings than Nixon in Watergate" Taft of Ohio.  I don't quite see how he's a RINO but Ahnuld isn't.

Speaking of which, anyone who followed Blanco's campaign for governor (which she won in amusing irony becuase on the racial aspects of her R opponent) knows that she's hardly a party-line D.  Hell, she'd be a solid R in most states.  Why don't you claim her? :)

And what exactly has Perry accomplished in TX? That's not a slap at him, I'm just curious.

Arnold to be in the Top 10?  I don't follow Cali politics closely, but what little I read about Arnold's tenure doesn't make it sound worthy of any type of top position among the nation's governors.

Using the CATO institute ratings is absurd. What are their standards of success running your state into the ground financially as long as you don't restructure taxes or pass any law that infringes upon the libertarian ideal?

Huckabee has been a great Governor

And Warner is a pretty solid moderate..

And I think Blanco is the worst Governor in the United States.

Face it Sanford is an idiot.

How Pawlenty cannot be in your Top 10 but Arnold can leaves some serious doubts about your rankings.  

if McCain is a candidate in the primaries.  He will stand aside and endorse his good friend in the SC primaries, giving him an easier-than-should-be-possible win in that conservative state.

I'd rather see Sanford than McCain any day of the week, but it's not gonna happen.

  What a joke.  But I think this bodes very well for Sanford.  If the liberals would go so out of their way to single him out like this, they must be a little afraid.  I see him staying out of the race this time around but maybe taking the VP slot.

than to clean up the quagmire that was the state DMV offices, he would still be a great governor. He deserves reelection on that issue alone.

I believe that Sanford will run for reelection, and win, in 2006. He will then serve his full second term as Governor before moving on to another office.

President or VP in 2012 seems plausible, unless there are incumbent Republicans running for reelection. Then it would be 2016.

Remember that he was first elected to the House in 1994, and pledged to serve no more than three terms. He was reelected twice, then declined to run again in 2000. That gave him time to prepare for his ultimately succesful run for Governor in 2002.

If he is reelected next year, I think he will see that as an obligation to serve the full term as Governor. He will not leave that office early.

He's not been terrible, he's left the state in better shape than it was when he became governor. He tried to do something about education in this state, but the legislature made a hash of it. But what has he done that was great?

Pawlenty is great, Arnold on the other hand is pretty weak.

I clearly said "for contrast purposes" with my explanation for as to why I used the Cato Institute: to provide a different viewpoint.

Why Cato over any different thinktanks?  Because the Cato Inst. provides some of the best fiscally conservative analysis available dealing with governors.  We're conservatives here at redstate, and I'm showing how much TIME magazine is NOT conservative.

I'm a fiscal conservative and I believe in supply side economics.  I do not believe in Keynesian economics.  If those ideals makes me an activist, go ahead and call me an activist but when I see a fiscally conservative governor being considered one of the worst governors in America for the sole reason of being... fiscally conservative... I get mad.

with the Cato Institute.

Than Time magazine. It would be interesting to know what proportion of their circulation consists of dentist and doctors offices.

is based solely on fiscal policy.

You can find the latest report (2004) here

In short, he's raised taxes considerably after his original first term tax cut.

what's moderate about tax increases?  Placed in an overall framework of policy differences between  Left and Right and again as to policy how does it bring both sides together.  Gee, why can't tax cuts bring both sides together?  And logicaly if a moderate is someone somewhere in the middle would not a moderate refrain from either raising or cuting taxes,eschewing stands more identifiable either with left or right.  It does appear from past usage that the term moderate has a strange and fluctuating pedigree, strangely approbative, and applied to people ,who by mere coincidence,agree with liberals at certain time and certain issues, e.g. the Moderate Lincoln Chaffe.  It goes  without saying that the tax increases were the only thing that saved us from the very jaws of hell and starvation,  but hopefully a Moderate will someday look at spending  totals and how it's spent and where to cut and save.  Unfortunately when that day comes he probably will be caste from his pedestal,flung into  the pit of anonymity, and cease being a Moderate.  That's life, or at least life for the media.

that Pawlenty is doing a great job in Minn. and honestly very few people are really talking about him yet in '08 but he makes great sense.Fiscal conservative who would immediately throw 27 electoral votes from blue to red (minn and wisc would probably turn red). This would allow the loss of an ohio or a Fl (though that prob wont happen -- FL that is) in 08 and still capture the election.

Never underestimate the strategy of maximizing votes in the electoral college.

As for Arnold, he is doing a better job than the propositions last week show. I would have preferred that he hadnt have run the special election, but he came extremely close to limiting the unions domination of Sacramento and getting Parental notification. The closeness of those votes demonstrates his power here, and that hes not afraid to take on the special interests here that are turning this into the first Socialist state in the union.

In no particular order

My Top 10:

Jeb Bush (R-FL)

Bill Owens (R-CO)

Mark Sanford (R-SC)

Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

Mike Rounds (R-SD)

Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

John Hoeven (R-ND)

Bill Richardson (D-NM)

John Baldacci (D-MA)

Phil Bredesen (D-TN)

My Bottom 5:

Kathleen Blanco (D-LA)

Bob Taft (R-OH)

Ruth Ann Minner (D-DE)

Edward Rendell (D-PA)

James McGreevey (D-NJ) - Good riddens, but Corzine will probably prove to be no better

Take it from me... I own and manage (used to at least) TimPawlenty08.com

Timpaw announced that he wasn't going to run for president.  And really, with the current situation in d.c., I would say thats a smart move.  However, he still is a major, major player when talking about vice presidential possibilities.  Someone like Rudy or Gingrich would definatly look towards Pawlenty as a great addition to a ticket.

I'm in CA, and Arnie would probably be in my 10 worst.

Whether you're a (so-called) "moderate", or a genuine conservative, Arnie has been an absolute disaster.

I hope his tacking to the Left now will engender a Primary challenge from a true conservative Republican.

I can't get rid of the guy fast enough...

the criticisms of the cigarette fee (I think he called it a fee, not a tax, but Norquist and others were not impressed), and the Democrats gaining a dozen legislative seats last year.

Minnesota is going through a period of transition and Pawlenty is the best governor to help ease that transition into Republican territory. He's also charming and comes across as a regular guy.

The real purpose of this Time piece seems to be placing a halo around the heads of any Democrats who face legislatures controlled by Republicans. They want to send a message to the public that it is an undue burden for a Democrat to work with Republicans, and that the public should throw Republicans out of office to ease the burden of the Democrat.

As much as I abhor her liberal attitude on abortion, Jodi Rell should be somewhere on this list for overcoming Rowland's unpopularity.

Mark Sanford has had very high profile fights with the Republicans in the legislature, but that isn't his fault. He does not deserve all the blame.

Romney is MA.  Also, Balducci is a spending super lib, who from what I hear is not liked by anyone and dispised by conservatives.  He's pushed taxes and the gay agenda like a Howard Dean clone

is she supported and signed the law making CT the second state to have "civil" unions for gays and lesbians.  That type of position along is a negative weight that cannot be overcome in my mind.

Where did Illinois' esteemed Rod Chicagovich land?  If he'd been near the top, every voter in the Land of Lincoln would have heard by now.

Despite the efforts by the DFL Senate here in Minnesota to de-rail Pawlenty, he should be a very attractive VP candidate for any GOP Presidential nominee in 2008.  He's attractive, charismatic, the governor of a swing state, and he knows how to articulate and sell conservatism.  Moreover, he's actually produced results where others haven't.    

Sanford Is A Terrible Governor  By: flee  

I'm a middle-aged South Carolinian, live in Greenville, Clemson grad, Engineering BS and MBA, Business Mgr for a Fortune 500 company, lifelong Republican, Reagan, GWHB, GWB, straight down the line.

Sanford is a terrible governor. He's a guy who inherited old money, grew up in Florida but claimed to be a native South Carolinian, and won the Governorship claiming to be a Conservative Republican.

What he is is a Fundamentalist Libertarian who is trying his best to choke the state to death in the name of "reform" and "limited government".

Mark Sanford has no original ideas, and no agenda except "limit government". That's not leadership, that's just two words that make the good-old-boy, south-will-rise-again contingent send in the checks.

He's openly hostile towards public education, and stated in an interview with the local daily that he really didn't think there was a link between the success of our state research universities and our economic success.

Business leaders are openly asking high-profile folks to challenge Sanford in the Republican primary. So far no takers, because Sanford's ready to spend his great-grandads money to get re-elected, plus he's raised 60% of his campaign funds north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Unemployment is rising dramatically, the state's credit rating was just downgraded, public school funding has been cut by 40% during Sanford's administration.

What we have here is an ugly mess. An incredibly arrogant, inefficient, not all that bright governor who bought the office and will buy it again. And the kicker is that his climber-wife has instructed him to be President next.

God have mercy on us all!

flee

Sanford Is A Terrible Governor  By: flee  

I'm a middle-aged South Carolinian, live in Greenville, Clemson grad, Engineering BS and MBA, Business Mgr for a Fortune 500 company, lifelong Republican, Reagan, GWHB, GWB, straight down the line.

Sanford is a terrible governor. He's a guy who inherited old money, grew up in Florida but claimed to be a native South Carolinian, and won the Governorship claiming to be a Conservative Republican.

What he is is a Fundamentalist Libertarian who is trying his best to choke the state to death in the name of "reform" and "limited government".

Mark Sanford has no original ideas, and no agenda except "limit government". That's not leadership, that's just two words that make the good-old-boy, south-will-rise-again contingent send in the checks.

He's openly hostile towards public education, and stated in an interview with the local daily that he really didn't think there was a link between the success of our state research universities and our economic success.

Business leaders are openly asking high-profile folks to challenge Sanford in the Republican primary. So far no takers, because Sanford's ready to spend his great-grandads money to get re-elected, plus he's raised 60% of his campaign funds north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Unemployment is rising dramatically, the state's credit rating was just downgraded, public school funding has been cut by 40% during Sanford's administration.

What we have here is an ugly mess. An incredibly arrogant, inefficient, not all that bright governor who bought the office and will buy it again. And the kicker is that his climber-wife has instructed him to be President next.

God have mercy on us all!

flee

Sanford Is A Terrible Governor  By: flee  

I'm a middle-aged South Carolinian, live in Greenville, Clemson grad, Engineering BS and MBA, Business Mgr for a Fortune 500 company, lifelong Republican, Reagan, GWHB, GWB, straight down the line.

Sanford is a terrible governor. He's a guy who inherited old money, grew up in Florida but claimed to be a native South Carolinian, and won the Governorship claiming to be a Conservative Republican.

What he is is a Fundamentalist Libertarian who is trying his best to choke the state to death in the name of "reform" and "limited government".

Mark Sanford has no original ideas, and no agenda except "limit government". That's not leadership, that's just two words that make the good-old-boy, south-will-rise-again contingent send in the checks.

He's openly hostile towards public education, and stated in an interview with the local daily that he really didn't think there was a link between the success of our state research universities and our economic success.

Business leaders are openly asking high-profile folks to challenge Sanford in the Republican primary. So far no takers, because Sanford's ready to spend his great-grandads money to get re-elected, plus he's raised 60% of his campaign funds north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Unemployment is rising dramatically, the state's credit rating was just downgraded, public school funding has been cut by 40% during Sanford's administration.

What we have here is an ugly mess. An incredibly arrogant, inefficient, not all that bright governor who bought the office and will buy it again. And the kicker is that his climber-wife has instructed him to be President next.

God have mercy on us all!

flee

I'd like to think both of those have something to do with the fact that you can't post anymore.

Toodles.

What do you think of Sanford?

That's all that needs to be said there. We could use a Mark Sanford here in Michigan.

And why isn't Jenny Grandstand on that list? She's a joke.

If she had vetoed, the legislature probably could have overriden her veto. She insisted the bill come with a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. She got what she wanted, and she signed the bill.

I know I'm probably in a minority here but I don't object to civil unions, as long as they are passed by a legislature or a majority of voters, and as long as marriage is kept between a man and a woman.

I have exactly the same position on this. Sounds like a decent compromise to me.

However, I think your information on Baldacci is outdated.  He was a very liberal member of congress before being elected to the governor's mansion, but once he got in he seemed to have a complete change of heart and has come off as a, dare I say it... conservative.

He's proposed income tax cuts and has kept spending in control by capping spending by population growth plus inflation.  Thats Bill Owens stuff... He's cut property taxes and proposed cuts to health care (Yea! cuts to health care... from a dem gov) So far I've been real impressed with the former lib.

As for Romney, I'd like to include him, but he's almost a do-nothing governor considering the Democratic legislature over there is nixing everything that has his name on it.  It's a shame because he really has some good ideas that could help the state but ever since he became a national player stopping his ascension through the ranks has been the dems #1 goal over there.  It's a shame.

So why not just hand over your entire paycheck?

Let the gov. handle/redistribute it right.

"public school funding has been cut by 40% during Sanford's administration"

Why is that a bad thing? Public schools are the biggest waste of money on the planet. Take the public school budget operating budget, cut it in half, divide that by the number of school age kids. Write a voucher for that amout to the parents.

Take the school propery. Sell off half convert the rest to mini-business, light industry parks. Use the funds from selling off one-half the school property to bring in infrastructure.

These measures would result in the best educated and most productive citizens in the country.

Cato has a definitely philosophical viewpoint, but since when are they a partisan organization?

Has Cato ever pulled its punches against Republican  acts of big government?

The ONLY thing Governor Schwarzenegger with conservatives on is taxation, so to put him on a top list shows a fairly non-conservative viewpoint.

... to Gov. Huckabee's "Tax Me More" fund?  That was a brilliant jab at tax advocates.  Now he's raising taxes?  wtf?

Like I have room to talk; Taft is my governor, God help me.

Watch your wallet.  The easiest way to bridge divisions is with someone else's money.

but I don't think any of you could beat Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO).  I would want him for president, except that I want 8 years in MO first!!!!

Sanford is a pretty good governor.  Anyway, this is probably just liberals trying to pour water on possible GOP headliners of future national races.

McCain makes me queasy.

the multitude of SC Education Lottery offers prompted Gov. Sanford to slice into the education budget.  Isn't that why we buy lottery tickets in SC?  Surely it isn't with the hope of winning $300 million.

In that case, would a governor who cut all state taxes to zero be the best possible governor?  Would the resultant situation be a net positive or negative for the state in question?  Discuss.

Alternate question: Is it ever possible for taxes to be too low?

Third question: are there criteria other than tax cuts which you would find appropriate in discussing the relative success of a governor?  

I know this is low and over the plate but ...in Arkansas it's all relative.  Huckabee followed the felon "Jim Guy" (you really can't make this stuff up) Tucker into office in a state whose storied Governors are Faubus and Clinton.  

Huckabee had to face an entrenched Democratic legislature (only continuously in power since 1874) and a series of Court rulings mandating improvements in education within the framework of a Constitution (also in place since 1874)that shuts off most prefered Republican revenue choices.  Remember this is the state where the Rep governor's daughter had to go to court in order to vote (local judge didn't like all those Rep college kids messing up the yellow dawg lock on power).  

We've only had three Rep. govs since Reconstruction (Rockefeller, White, Huckabee) and Mike has done well in stepping up to the plate several times: he took over during a Constitutional crisis with real skill and grace; he tried to actually fix the core problems of Arkansas schools (too many districts and too many of those fuctioning only as community sports franchises)with consolidation and standards but the entrenched interests blocked about two/thirds of the needed reform and exacted more money as a pay-off; recently he did a GREAT job dealing with hurricane relief. He also stupidly put forward his wife

I'm actually not a Huckabee fan (my man is Asa Hutchinson who is going to have a tough fight on his hands for the job against AG Mike Beebe in 06) but Red Staters who think anyone Time likes is a RINO would do well to consider the arena Mike has had to fight in.  

As we say here in the diamond state, too often in education, thank God for Mississippi; and in politics, thank God for Louisiana.

Baldacci is a conservative?   As far as I know, he's a liberal.    Capping spending in Maine is a necessity.   Maine has the highest tax burden

as a percentage of income in the nation (13%, the average is 10%)

   

up in SC, the motto was "thank God for MS" regarding MS. It's probably still the motto.

I doubt that Sanford would win the nomination unless it was a very weak field. His economic record has been somewhat mixed.

If you like triangulating the far right, he's your guy.

Carroll Campbell had a much better record than Sanford and couldn't get any traction.

A Republican from SC like Sanford would probably mean a repeat of Dole/Clinton.

to propose and/or enact a cut in the sales tax is John Baldacci of Maine.

.75% Top Personal Income Tax Rate Cut, third highest cut among freshman governors

Maintained spending to population growth plus inflation.

Now, that being said, you're right that Maine is very overtaxed, I'm not certain if their the highest, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont are some states that come to mind, along with others like New Jersey (Highest property taxes in the country) or Connecticut, but Baldacci is apparently making an effort to change this.  Just like Pawlenty are Schwarzenegger in their own overtaxed states.

There are two reasons that Carroll Campbell did not want to run for president:

1. His million dollar salary as an insurance consultant
   
2. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Without those two obstacles extant, I think he could have had a decent chance in a presidential election.

Another reason to oppose Huckabee is his liberalism on immigration.  After Bush, it would be nice to nominate someone who might actually take border security seriously, and who would not view immigration reform from a leftist pt of view.  Some of Huckabee's rhetoric on the issue has been shameful, and indistinguishable from a bleeding-heart liberal.  He suffers from a very bad case of white guilt.  

about before he was diagnosed.

He may have known about the diagnosis long before it became public knowledge.