The Kentucky Post is running an online poll today asking readers to grade Ernie Fletcher on his job as governor. It is apparent that the Democratic Party of Kentucky has done a good job of getting the word out, as Fletcher has received an "F" from 42% of all voters.
One wonders how an objective observer would grade the Governor; the media that chronicles his exploits is decidedly skewed against him, yet some of his actions have been clearly ill-considered.
That brings up the thought: how would Ben Chandler have done in Fletcher's place? Given Chandler's voting record on fiscal issues in Washington D.C. -- and his words on the campaign trail in 2003 -- it would appear that had he been elected in November 2003, we Kentuckians (or at least the emboldened Democrats in Frankfort) would be attempting to tax ourselves into prosperity by now. The guess here is that a budget stalemate would have happened last year even with Chandler in the Governor's Mansion. The issue certainly would not have been revenue-neutral tax modernization, but massive tax increases and expanded government spending on social programs. The state House races of 2004 would have gone even better for the Republicans as a revolt against the taxes. Perversely, Democrats are trying now to position themselves as the responsible ones by proposing much higher taxes in the General Assembly this year. It follows that under a Chandler Administration, the remaining humbled House Democrats would be struggling now to position themselves as anti-tax. Instead we find them not only selling the notion that they are far right social conservatives, but that they have always been that way. Funny!
Chandler has accomplished nothing in Washington, thanks to his minority party status and his poll-driven conclusion that he just has to lay low to stay in office. Given his pro-tax tendencies we can surely be thankful both for that minority position and that Ernie Fletcher was the one elected Governor.
