Jim Hunt was the last lieutenant governor elected governor. Thirty-six years ago. And Hunt had the advantage of being No. 2 under a Republican governor, so he could run against the Ins.

Since then, lieutenant governors have not fared so well: Jimmy Green, Bob Jordan, Jim Gardner and Dennis Wicker (my friend and client). Now Bev Perdue tries to change the trend.

The political problems are inherent in the office. The title itself sounds weak. Unlike the vice president, you’re not really part of the administration. But it’s hard to separate yourself from the governor if you’re in the same party. You get all the bad and none of the good.

Plus, Perdue has the burden of more than 20 years of brainwashing in the legislature, where she learned all the wrong lessons for a governor’s race.

Most lieutenant governors catch Legislative Disease. That malady keeps most anyone who serves long in the legislature from becoming a good statewide candidate. Symptoms include insiders’ limited vision, long-windedness and an extreme compulsion to explain arcane legislative processes such as motions to table, conference reports and committee substitutes.

Lieutenant governors, like legislators, often view politics strictly in transactional terms: I helped you amend this bill or get this appropriation, so I should get your group’s endorsement.

Executives – governors and mayors – get a different kind of training. They learn to talk to people in language that is at least somewhat intelligible. Most of all, they learn to use legislators as punching bags.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.