GOP Governors Not Touching 2012 Race

The National Governors Association gathered in Washington over the weekend—and though DC is abuzz over who the GOP nominee will be, most Republican governors are resolutely sitting on their hands. The majority haven't yet endorsed a candidate, and probably won't until the nomination is near, Politico notes—a decided change from the days when governors prided themselves on delivering their state to the nominee. "I’ve never understood why anyone would care what I thought, and most endorsements don’t seem to move the needle very much anyway," says Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Many governors pointed to concerns in their own states taking precedence over the contest; others worried about dividing the party. "Governors want to play a unifying role of getting behind whoever becomes the nominee," says Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. But with primary season looking long, it may be a while before that can happen, a matter of growing worry for many, the Washington Post notes. Candidates spending money against each other doesn't much help the Republican cause, notes Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. "Any day they’re not talking about the economy is a wasted day in terms of contrasting with the president," adds Scott Walker of Wisconsin. (More Republican governor stories.)