The light and sound show in Washington, D.C. often distracts from the fact that much of the innovation and success in governing actually happens at the local level. The federal government occupies an outsized role in the public perception of politics, for its supporters and conservative detractors alike.
But in years like this, with the all-consuming presidential campaign still in its infancy, the most important politics is, for a while, local. Conservative politicians from all over the country, who were elected in November, will either begin to fulfill their campaign pledges or not. They will flourish or fail.
For those considering which party to support in 2012, a fair bargain is this: Look, for the next year, at what conservative governors do in their own statehouses. Washington can wait.
In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry and the entrenched Republican majority will seek to provide an example for the rest of the country in how to address a budget deficit without raising taxes.
Texas’ symbolic status as one of the most conservative states makes what happens there big, appropriately. But as they did in 2003, signs point to the sides being able to agree, respectfully, on a budget that cuts programs and services without, as Kevin Williamson writes in National Review, making the place “look like Afghanistan.”
Ohio Gov. John Kasich faces a future of thankless work as he tries to undo decades of decline in the Buckeye State. His jobs platform won him a stunning victory in last fall’s election. Now, Kasich’s decision to create a “Jobs Ohio” economic development commission has drawn cautious support from some Democrats. Like Texas, Ohio is a proving ground for conservative governance — Texas because there’s no one else in charge, and Ohio because there’s so much to overcome.
New Jersey’s pugnacious Gov. Chris Christie will continue to star in YouTube confrontations with constituents and opponents. Under New Jersey logic, this will make him popular, and his brash governing style will represent a different kind of Republican — East Coast but not elite, policy-focused but not wonky, confrontational but good-natured.
If nothing else, Christie is an example of how the best politicians can spring naturally from their constituencies and capture their rhythms and customs.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels actually has a record of successful governance to promote. If he does run for president, as many speculate he will, the governor that Jonathan Martin of Politico recently called the “Heartthrob of the Elites” will bring to the national stage a blueprint for sober and responsible government. Many followers believe this type of government can work in Washington. Indiana’s success is already drawing attention, regardless of whether he runs.
Here in Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer faces the unappetizing prospect of governing with no money and little goodwill. Her policy task will be to navigate the ground between fiscal austerity and economic vitality. Her political task is more difficult and will require her to be an advocate for Arizona as much as a governor.
For the next half year, local governance will matter. After this, the presidential campaign, election year politics, the rise and fall of challengers and the slow but inevitable sucking away of attention from anything but the White House will once again take center stage.
Reach Will at wmunsil@asu.edu
