Slate – Barbour did Ok, not great

Haley Barbour’s Okay Night

As Haley Barbour basks in the glow of the Republicans’ best round of gubernatorial elections in 16 years, is it fair to point out that his Republican Governors Association’s wins were actually on the low end of expectations? Yes, the RGA won 9 governor’s mansions, and that’s huge. Florida, in particular, was an important, tricky won. But look at the expectations at the start of the night. Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming were expected to be Republican wins ever since the cycle began. In Iowa, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Republicans led consistently in polling all year. Only Florida, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin were vaguely heavy carries. Those are huge wins for 2012, and some are important for redistricting.

Slate
11/4/10