In Kentucky, a Democratic governor gains new fans: Republicans – By Story Hinckley (CS Monitor) / April 3 2020
As they confront a pandemic, governors are seeing their popularity soar. Kentucky’s Andy Beshear is winning plaudits for a calm, pragmatic approach that some see as a model for bridging the partisan divide.
Every evening, he begins the same way. “We will get through this,” says Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear shortly after taking the podium. “And we will get through this together.”
No state has been spared from COVID-19, and while Governor Beshear may not be speaking from one of the nation’s “hot spots,” his nightly 5 p.m. briefings have become a reassuring ritual for Kentuckians. Mothers pause their dinner preparation to turn up the TV’s volume, and 20-somethings tune in to online watch parties.
Members of both parties in the Bluegrass State say Mr. Beshear’s daily briefings are a comforting antidote to these anxious times, with more than a dozen self-identified conservative Kentuckians interviewed by the Monitor offering unabashed praise for their Democratic governor. Dominique Dye, a stay-at-home mom from Lexington who voted for Mr. Beshear’s Republican opponent just four months ago, has found herself creating and sharing memes in a pro-Beshear Facebook group of more than 180,000. Some of the governor’s most popular phrases from his briefings are even being marketed on T-shirts and mugs, with proceeds going to the state’s COVID-19 relief funds.
He isn’t the only governor enjoying a surge in popularity right now. A recent national poll found strong bipartisan support for state executives, with almost 75% of Americans approving of their governor’s handling of the crisis. Republican Govs. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Larry Hogan of Maryland have won widespread praise for taking decisive action early. Some governors have hit record approval ratings, such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose daily briefings have made him something of a national star. Mr. Beshear’s audience is far smaller than Governor Cuomo’s, but his fans appear equally ardent.
Continue to article: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2020/0403/In-Kentucky-a-Democratic-governor-gains-new-fans-Republicans
