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Controlling the top office in more states than the other party may not seem like much. But in a time of significant budget restraints, a popular governor can make a big difference in setting the legislative agenda and rallying public support or opposition on controversial issues.
Bush, whose margin of victory was razor-thin in 2000, will need all the support from governors he can get to win in 2004.
"Admittedly, a governor has some prestige, some standing and visibility in his own state (and) that can help. But…you can find all over the battlefield in 2000 examples of governors who tried very hard but couldn't make the difference (for their candidates)," Ornstein said.
Although Bush lost crucial states with GOP governors such as Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin in 2000, his brother's help in Florida made the difference. Gov. Bush helped deliver crucial votes and GOP Secretary of State Katherine Harris made some election decisions that may have helped turn the vote count in Bush's favor.
"Let's face it, if Bill McBride had been governor of Florida in 2000…we might have had a different person other than Katherine Harris making some very important decisions," says Ornstein. "You could have seen a different dynamic there. And we might have seen enough of an additional mobilization of Democratic voters that the election wouldn't have been quite as close."
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