Stick A Fork In Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, He’s Done

A Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey released today shows that Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett is doomed in his bid for re-election. Democrat Tom Wolf leads Corbett by an eye-popping 55-30 margin. The incumbent Governor is losing almost a quarter of Republican voters. In addition, Independents prefer Wolf over Corbett by a gaudy 43-point margin, 63-20 percent. Nothing turns voters away from Republican candidates faster than having to endure Republican governance for a few years. Voters have turned sour on Corbett, with just 27 percent approving of his job performance while more than twice as many (58 percent) disapprove.

In stark contrast to Corbett’s dismal numbers, Democrat Tom Wolf is quite popular, enjoying a 47 percent favorable to 20 percent unfavorable rating. Corbett’s numbers keep getting worse the longer he serves as the Keystone State’s Governor. In November 2013, he trailed Wolf 44-32. Since then the gap has more than doubled.

While Corbett has been happy to govern as a Tea Party-style state executive, he has not earned any good will from Pennsylvania voters who now soundly reject his extremism. Elected officials are ultimately held accountable to their constituents, and no amount of money funneling in from right wing interests can save Corbett now. Politically, he is destined for defeat in November as voters have grown weary of his policies as Pennsylvania’s Governor. While many Republican Governors face difficult bids for re-election in 2014, none are more imperiled than Tom Corbett.

The November election is still several months away, so in most cases it would be premature to write off a candidate this early. However, Tom Corbett has so thoroughly antagonized Pennsylvania voters that any chance for political rehabilitation seems virtually impossible at this point. His Democratic opponent, Tom Wolf, has run a flawless campaign up to this point. However, Corbett is such a poor Governor that even a much more amateur Democratic campaign would probably still beat him by double digits. Corbett’s re-election chances are close to zero. His track record as Pennsylvania’s Governor has sealed his electoral fate.  Voters will deliver the final blow in November, but you can stick a fork in him already, because he is as good as done.

Keith Brekhus

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.