If Beshear refuses to deal with political realities, he’ll be a one-term governor
Somewhere in the multiverse, Governor Andy Beshear and his bi-partisan administration is preparing to introduce a state budget that will pass unanimously though both chambers of the Republican controlled Kentucky General Assembly.
Unfortunately, here on Earth-616 (yes it’s a Marvel reference), our Andy Beshear is living in denial and unable to deal with a reality of his own creation. Monday, his frustration finally boiled over in a strange press conference where Beshear bizarrely accused the Republican House supermajority of being “unprofessional,” “unwise” and “unlawful.”
In 2019, Beshear was elected thanks to a huge number of Republicans splitting the ticket and voting or him and 5 down ticket Republicans. Since being elected though, he appears to have forgotten those voters, seeming to only represent his bitter partisan base and the teachers union. Sadly for him, our state’s low bar for overriding a gubernatorial veto and Republican super majorities in both chambers means that if he’s to have any impact on the legislative process, he HAS to work with the GOP-led legislature, something he’s shown a baffling unwillingness to do.
It didn’t have to be this way. There was a window for Andy Beshear to understand his situation and work within it. However, whether by his own choice or at the behest of the plethora of his father’s partisan hacks that pollute his inner circle, his administration seems to believe it’s operating in the Democratic heyday of the 1980’s, when their control of the state and the legislature was absolute. Poor Andy; if only wishing made it so.
Beshear’s obstinate refusal to work with the legislature amazes me. Even when there’s an opportunity to horse trade and get a seat at the table, he refuses to cut deals. Take redistricting for example.
There was a zero percent chance the General Assembly was ever going to give Beshear a say in the drawing of maps. However, legislative leaders really wanted to get it done before session. Instead of figuring out what he could trade in exchange for the call of a special session, he did nothing. He held something that was worthless to him (because any veto could have been overridden) and was valued by the General Assembly; but it had an expiration date. Beshear let it spoil in the fridge rather than bake a cake. Not only was it bad policy, it was dumb politics.
Now, we come to the budget. The General Assembly has been holding budget subcommittee hearings, many with cabinet officials, since the end of last session. To say the Governor had no input (or no opportunity for input) is ridiculous. Not only that, the Governor was free to roll out his budget at any point prior to Friday’s unveiling of the House proposal.
It seems to me what the Governor is really mad about is the upstaging of his State of the Budget address. But, is the speech even necessary? Beshear gave his State of the Commonwealth address last week and spoke to many of his budget priorities. Recall that in 2018, Matt Bevin combined the two; they’re kind of duplicative. The House was clearly ready to go to work, Beshear outlined his priorities last week, and his budget is a non-starter in the legislature anyways. So why wait for what’s nothing more than a piece of political performance art?
Beshear whines that Republicans refuse to work with him, but this is a Governor who’s spent his entire administration acting as if the legislature doesn’t matter when it’s the other way around. That’s why he lost emergency power last session, it’s why voters roundly rejected every one of his candidates in 2020, and it’s why he’s being ignored in the budget process now.
Andy Beshear may want to blame Republicans for his problems, but his refusal to accept the reality of the hand he’s dealt is disaster of his own creation. And, it’s the number one reason he’ll be a one-term Governor.
Tres Watson is the former spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky, founder of Capitol Reins PR and the host of the Kentucky Politics Weekly Podcast.