These men must govern very conservatively if they are to succeed. Jerry Brown no longer has the option of his predecessors in taking local funds to help make up for statewide shortfalls, or enacting fees on less than a two-thirds majority and pretending they are not taxes. He should be looking at Chris Christie in New Jersey as a model.
Jerry, don't be afraid to take on your own party. If you are, the glow of victory won't last long and a decent political legacy will end in shame. If you aren't, you cap a legendary political career by saving the state.
Pat Quinn and Andrew Cuomo should do similarly. Govern 'like Republicans'. Cuomo should take a page from David Paterson's playbook, not Eliot Spitzer's.
I don't think that will be the case in Cali since the unions basically own Jerry Brown. Therefore I would have to say that California will eventually default and Brown will ether be defeated in 2014, primaried, or forced to retire due to unpopularity.
I also can't see things be much different in Illinois ether, although I think NY will be different because Cuomo made it a center stone of his campaign to tackle the deficit and spending.
