- 2 min read
- Posted on 10.23.08
Here’s what I said to a crowd last night:
If you were to list the qualities that would characterize the best candidate to be Governor of Missouri this year, they would most likely include the following:
He would be a Democrat — because this is a year in which Democrats will win the White House, the Missouri Governor’s Mansion, and a lot of households across the state and the country.
He would have executive experience, because running state government — the largest bureaucracy in Missouri — efficiently requires more than a theoretical knowledge.
He would have legislative experience, because running state government successfully requires an understanding of the particular partnerships that are necessary to get things done in Jeff City.
He would have a record of standing up for people, because the economic times in which we find ourselves are pitting hardworking people against predators who threaten their homes, their investments, and their credit.
He would have an understanding of the crossroads at which Missouri finds itself — caught between our past as an agricultural and manufacturing state, and our future in which both those sectors expand to include plant science, new medical technologies, stem cell research, and alternative energies.
He would be a strong proponent of education, with a record of supporting kids rather than politics.
He would know how to find both Crown Candy Kitchen and the closest Lambert’s Cafe — and could tell you when to use Maull’s and when to use Gates.
He would have a brilliant wife and adorable kids who would understand that all those funny stories he told about them were because he was so proud of them.
He would have two million dollars or so more on hand than his opponent going into the final weeks of the campaign,
And, finally, and perhaps most importantly, he would be savvy enough to say both Missouri and Missourah in all his statewide television commercials.
As you may surmised, I was introducing the next governor of Missouri: Jay Nixon.
