The Rise of Sunbelt Governors: Conservative Outsiders in the White House

Abstract

In memory of Alan Rosenthal There have been two periods in American political development where governors and their particular brand of politics have held sway in the White House. The first period, occurring during the Progressive Era, was marked by presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who brought their state‐honed reform agendas with them to the presidency. Three‐quarters of a century later, their push for greater federal authority over big business, machine politics, and ineffective direction of public policy at the local level, was met by fierce resistance from a different breed of governor‐presidents. Hailing from the Sunbelt, these governors sought to overturn the “Hudson” progressive model. The conservative (and at times moderate) presidential politics of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush exemplified a brand of outsider governance dedicated to ending “big government.” Among their accomplishments was the confirmation of the American governorship as a distinctly powerful institution for shaping presidential behavior. This article examines this latter cohort of governor‐presidents and the meaning they brought to “outsider” politics.

Campaigning by Human Branding: Associating with American Presidents

“…Trump, Eisenhower and Arthur were the last presidents not to hold federal or state-wide office but, even among other politicians, whether the key association is as a Washington insider or outside is significant. 6 As Ambar ( 2014 , p. 76) observes, “Washington insiders proved more electable to the presidency during periods of relative consensus, as was the case between 1945 and 1976”.…”

“…Today, it is commonplace to assume that service as the chief executive of a state is a good preparation for service as a national chief executive. As Ambar ( 2014 , p. 92) suggests of Reagan, Clinton and Bush, they were “equipped—unlike senators or vice presidents—to take office with the mandate of outsiders”. So the prefix Governor, as opposed to Senator or Vice President, can have an impact by association though not inevitably.…”

In Through the Out Door: Examining the Use of Outsider Appeals in Presidential Debates

“…Carter's success running as an outsider "peanut farmer at heart" from Georgia was not novel but had been preceded by earlier governors' electoral success. Ambar (2014) examined the rise of governors such as Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, suggesting that their state-honed "reform politics" situated them uniquely as candidates that "are better positioned to be elected-and to make claims for reversing unpopular national trends. They are not associated with the received currents of politics in Washington, nor are they as staked as senators, even from their own states, on national issues; they have a freer hand as candidates to condemn current national policies" (76).…”

Strategi Personal Branding Anies Baswedan dalam Membangun Komunikasi Politik Melalui Instagram

“…Personal branding politisi melibatkan pembentukan identitas unik, visi, nilai-nilai, dan cerita yang menghubungkan politisi dengan pemilih (Speed et al, 2015). Selanjutnya kepemimpinan, kompetensi, integritas, dan empati sebagai hal yang paling sering diidentifikasi relevan dengan penilaian pemilih (Ambar, 2014). Melalui personal branding yang kuat, politisi dapat membangun kepercayaan, keakraban, dan ikatan emosional dengan pemilih (Speed et al, 2015).…”