WI-2010/PPP: Republican challengers ahead of Gov. Doyle (D)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

If this poll is correct, then Democrats could be down to very few governorships after 2010.

This is very bizarre, as Democrats are doing relatively well on the national level. I was also reading that Colorado Governor Ritter, a moderate, was down 7 points to his likely challenger Scott McInnis. Could the negative views of many Democratic governors hurt congressional Democrats?

Its the damn economy forcing unpopular budget cuts and tax hikes on Governors. I said a few months ago that in big states especially that this could hurt incumbents even supposedly safe ones like Strickland in OH, who is currently considered Safe D but hey Ritter was supposed to be safe also. I didn't know McInnis was running in 2010 for anything? I hasd hoped he would run for the Senate.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Incumbents always rally though.  Consider the fact that the GOP is likely not to win the MI seat despite the hell that state is in.  That's pretty pathetic.  They also haven't won diddly in WI in a long time. 

In these bluish, yet winnable states, the GOP just cannot win anything, good economy, bad economy, corruption, no corruption.  It says something about the party as a whole.

We will see. I would disagree with your statement that we can't win Michigan. I am confident that MI, WI and PA will all have GOP Governors in 2011. The Republicans held the Governorship of Wisconsin as recently as 2002 and the held both houses of the state legislature till 2006. Bush came within a hairsbreath of winning the state in 2004 and the only reason McCain got trounced is he didn't have the money to compete in the state so he abandoned depressing turnout in the rural areas. what would have been a 53-47 defeat turned into a landslide for Obama, same thing happened in Michigan. In the 1980's Wisconsin hadn't elected a Republican in ages then Tommy Thompson won election and held the Governorship for I think 4 terms. In both these states the parties are in relatively good shape When compared to states like NY and ILL where the GOP has almost disappeared. They still are within striking distance of the legislature, the GOP has the opportunity to seize the Governorships and finally they are relatively close each Presidential election when the GOP actually contests them like in 2004.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We thought we had the state won in 04 as Bush was outpolling Kerry consistently and then we lost it on Election Day. 

You can't point back to the 80s or 90s.  The party is different now and the circumstances have changed.  We don't appeal anymore to moderate voters (me) and you need some of those to win the purple/bluish states.

Actually we weren't consistently leading, basically at the end both WI and IA were tied one went to Bush the other to Kerry. There was also a significant grassroots organization among the urban poor that helped Kerry in the state. We are not shut out of WI, MI or PA. Its harder now yes, but moderates/independents will still vote Republican in local races. Remember 2006 was a wave election year so the Governors races that year especially in the last month swung hard to Dems as the GOP collapsed with the Foley scandle destroying there August/September recovery. Plus this is a midterm for a Dem administration meaning that you might not see a populist wave against the GOP due there incumbency that now no longer exists.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Yep, McInnis is running for Governor. I hope he gives it up and runs for the Senate though.

He already passed up the Senate though so I doubt it will happen. He should have ran in 2004.