Hard Times in a Soft Underbelly

G.O.P. Governors in the Midwest are giving up or losing ground

When times are good, the Midwest is an area where the Republican Party can take for granted elephant-size congressional delegations and more than its share of statehouses. Devastated as it is by deepening recession, the region has now become what one presidential adviser calls "the soft underbelly of the G.O.P." To the shock and dismay of party leaders, five Republican Governors have announced that they will not be candidates for office in November. To make matters worse, two other Republican incumbents, Governors James...