Politico also refers to Scott as a GOP "star," which makes me cringe, but I digress.
What saddens me, even if it doesn't surprise me, is that Scott's obsession with Obama's policies still seems to be driving his public actions. Discussions today apparently will touch upon repealing ObamaCare, something Scott openly advocated on the campaign trail, even though that discussion should not involve governors at all.
Floridians, myself included, should be trying right now to put aside the heated campaign rhetoric that accompanied a super-tight election this year. But I am concerned Scott sees his role not as chief executive for the state of Florida but as the primary campaign leader in Florida against the Obama White House entering the 2012 elections.
If riling Obama is the top priority for Scott, then I fear he will squash high-speed rail Kasich-style just out of spite. I suspect federal stimulus funding, programs which whether he agrees with them or not do not burden state government one iota, will be rejected at the cost of state jobs.
Rick Scott this fall rode a wave of discontent with the status quo to a narrow election victory. While I didn't care for his rhetoric, I cannot blame him politically for keeping the discussion focused on forces outside of Florida. In a perfect scenario, Alex Sink and state Dems would have been able to focus the conversation onto the specifics of the governor's race rather than on the state of Democrats' unpopularity nationwide. But keeping the right angry and the left depressed made sense for Scott.
Now though, he has a real job. He cannot keep campaigning against the Obama and the Democrats in Washington if he expects Florida to "get to work." He better get to work himself on some real governing, and that probably means spending a little more time in Tallahassee and a bit less in D.C.
C'mon, Jake, politics in both parties has moved toward constant campaigning, particularly at the level of governor, Congress, and the President. Scott's not breaking new ground here. And Politico's designation of him as a GOP star reinforces that; it's not at all a digression. As long as opposing Democrats works for him as a campaign technique, he'll do it on the job. And in an increasingly polarized society, it will always work for him.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the core problems with our representative democracy, and possibly with representative democracy in general.
Its a poor trend if so. But particular with an executive post, the governor needs to focus at some point on HIS job. That isn't federal healthcare. It isn't national immigration reform. I certainly do not think Obama maintained campaign mode once he won the election. I also wouldn't say that about Govs. Crist or Bush, both Republicans.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect politicians to stop politicking completely, but Scott to date has done nothing of substance and seems to still be campaigning for office. He is going to meetings with leaders and peppering his speeches with the phrase "Let's Get to Work" and, as this post details, still expending more energy on the Boehner agenda than on any issue within the Sunshine State.
A sign of the future? Perhaps, but if so, not a good one. And if all pols decide to govern like its October in an election year, I plan to fight that every step of the way.
I think Obama is probably less egregious than Rick Scott, but he does it too. Look at his State of the Union speech this year, where he echoed the "Party of No" sound bite, "Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership." (Which is not to say that the criticism wasn't deserved.) That's just one example; I'm sure I could dig up more, particularly if you open it up to people who do more of the "dirty work," like Emanuel and Gibbs.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the major difference there is that Congress and the President are supposed to be worrying about national issues, and the Governor of Florida isn't. But, for the most part, politicians do things with an eye toward getting themselves reelected, and you get a big bang for your buck by talking about the national issues that get air time on Fox and MSNBC. Because those are the only issues people know about. Because local news on TV is murders and car crashes and child abductions, and local print media is nothing but bird cage liner, because they haven't figured out a way to make any money in the last 10 years. Because the populace - the people who elect the idiots that are playing hell with our country at all levels - are themselves idiots.
Sorry for the mini-rant.
Rantings are welcome here. It is what the site is all about.
ReplyDeleteBut it's funny to me you use an Obama quote where the president is complaining about just this problem: the year-round campaign.
As for Scott, he should not be thinking chiefly about his re-election before he has even taken office. He has real work to do here, and I am not yet convinced he has come to grips with the fact Governor is a real job.