Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
E-mail: mailbox@governing.comTwitter: @governing
Democratic governors say John McCain will be tough to beat, as the Washington Post reports:
To quote President Bush, McCain is never to be misunderestimated," said Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, McCain's home state. "He's a tough campaigner."
"In some ways," said Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a state that is considered a must-win for any Democratic nominee, "he's the ideal [Republican] candidate for Pennsylvania."
...
"He is appealing in Michigan," said Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who supports Clinton. "He does appeal to independent thinkers -- at least he did in the past -- and we have a lot of those in Michigan. Whoever the Democrat is, Michigan is a state where we're going to have to work."
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"I think John McCain could have an appeal to a lot of Ohioans," said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Clinton supporter. "I don't think it's a given that John McCain can't win the election. I just think that, rightly or wrongly, he is perceived as a straight-talking, independent, honest person." But if McCain appears to be pandering to his party's conservative base, Strickland said, he might not do as well.
Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
E-mail: mailbox@governing.com 
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