A thinking person might reason that ridding the nation of the mean orange man would have elevated the status of many progressive elected officials, allowing them the public space to shine in that lofty place they fancied themselves to deserve. Yet a sweep of the nation shows that certain heads of these United States are struggling, at best, to stay relevant and in their mansions. This phenomenon also has afflicted a few high-profile Republicans whose electorate often uses the term “RINO” to show their displeasure. It is doubtful this is the bipartisan experience that President Joe Biden desired.

It’s the Pandemic, Stupid

The coastal governors, Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gavin Newsom of California, are frantically treading water post-pandemic. Cuomo finds his Emmy award-winning self trying to explain to the feds why COVID-19 public death toll numbers are not passing the sniff test. Newsom, who seems to have violated quite a few of his own quarantine edicts, is blessed with a failing economy, an exodus of taxpayers, and a recall election.

The Committee to Unleash Prosperity and FreedomWorks held hands and came up with a clever way to grade the governors on their handling of the pandemic. Using a combination of categories – including the severity of business lockdowns, outdoor activity restrictions, stay-at-home requirements, and the all-important level of punitive actions inflicted to enforce government edicts – rankings were calculated in May 2020. One would think receiving a failing grade would prompt better business and humane practices. Those flunking the COVID-19 exam well into 2021 are Phil Murphy of New Jersey, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Ralph Northam of Virginia, and Tony Evers of Wisconsin. Notice a pattern? Indigo blue states one and all. Where are they today? In the deep end, fully clothed and sinking.

And what about Michigan Governor Gretchen Esther Whitmer? The intelligent, attractive politician, who survived a kidnapping plot, was on the runway for a launch to the Dem tree’s top branches but now is struggling to take flight. The darling of progressive governors, Whitmer went from the political perk of delivering a response to Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address to apologizing to constituents for breaking her own COVID-19 rules.

A dutiful daughter, Whitmer visited her ailing father in Palm Beach in March, and that should be applauded. But she didn’t quarantine on return, and, worse, she hijacked an Air Eagle LLC to fly her to Florida – a company not authorized to operate charter flights even as a personal favor. Michiganders weren’t pleased. But the kicker turned out to be the surfacing of a photo this May, where Whitmer was pictured hanging out with multiple cool friends, maskless and not social distancing, at a bar in East Lansing.

She was nearly inconsolable as she excused her behavior:

 “Saturday, I went with friends to a local restaurant. As more people arrived, the tables were pushed together. Because we were all vaccinated, we didn’t stop to think about it. In retrospect, I should have thought about it.”

Signs. Read the Signs!

Is anyone paying attention to the neon signs screaming “knock it off, already”? Recalls, federal investigations, breaching protocols, and death-spiraling economies have people leaving their bastions of blue and migrating anywhere red. A good chunk of Oregon – under a Democratic governor – has voted to secede into Idaho. Eastern California has been scheming for decades to become a separate, pinker state, but then who would pay for the homeless epidemic and accessible health care for illegal aliens in L.A. County?

Whether apologetic or belligerent and eschewing responsibility, state-government Democrats are in an uphill climb to keep power at the highest level from changing hues. And the 2022 midterm elections are fast approaching, with 36 governor positions on the ballot.

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Read more from Sarah Cowgill.