Ted Strickland
You know him because: He was the governor of Ohio and is now a member of the Governors' Council at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
He would like you to forget: While he was governor, a data storage device with the names and Social Security numbers of 64,000 state employees was stolen out of the car of a 22-year-old government intern, bringing his administration's ability to protected the personal information of its employees under fire
Democrats like him because: By the last year of his term, Ohio had the sixth-fastest growing economy in the country, according to a study done by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank.
Republicans don't like him because: He recently embarked on a bus tour through the swing state of Ohio to campaign for Obama; he is particularly critical of Romney's fiscal proposals and also says that Paul Ryan's entitlement overhaul would be "the killing of Medicare."
[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]
Rahm Emanuel
You know him because: He is the mayor of Chicago and Obama's former White House chief of staff.
He would like you to forget: Behind closed doors, he called a group of liberal activists "f--king retarded" for campaigning against Democratic politicians who opposed Obama's healthcare overhaul. He later apologized to Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Tim Shriver for the remarks.
Democrats like him because: While he was Obama's chief of staff, his aggressive tactics and Washington connections helped the administration push through two major pieces of legislation: Obama's stimulus plan and the Obamacare healthcare overhaul. Additionally, in his first year as mayor, the Chicago school system has seen a dramatic rise in the test scores of public high schoolers.
Republicans don't like him because: His tough talking and highly partisan approach–Emanuel reportedly once called Republicans "bad people who deserve a two-by-four upside their heads"—has led many critics to say Obama's selection of him for the top White House position proves the president was not committed to changing the tone in Washington.
[Slide show: The 12 Most Memorable Political Convention Speeches]
Deval Patrick
You know him because: He is the governor of Massachusetts and the commonwealth's first African-American governor.
He would like you to forget: Patrick had to pay back taxpayers for refurbishments done to his office--including over $10,000 spent on drapes--as well as offset the cost of upgrading his vehicle from a Crown Victoria to a Cadillac.
Democrats love him because: Under his administration, the Massachusetts school system won $3.4 billion in federal grants through the Obama's Race to the Top education competition, and Governor Patrick protected the state's same-sex marriage amendment by preventing opponents from putting it on a referendum ballot.
Republicans don't like him because: He implemented much of the "Romneycare" healthcare reform (a touchy subject for the GOP nominee) when he took over for Romney in 2007 and has since criticized Romney for trying to distance himself from the law.
Martin O'Malley
You know him because: He is the governor of Maryland, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and a potential 2016 presidential contender.
He wants you to forget: It was revealed that a land development business owner who benefited from a highway project secured by the O'Malley administration had made an illegal donation to O'Malley's gubernatorial campaign. A spokesperson for the governor denied any wrong-doing, arguing that the project had been in the works since before O'Malley was elected.
Democrats love him because: He signed into law a state version of the DREAM Act, allowing in-state college tuition discounts to undocumented immigrants who were brought to Maryland as children, graduated Maryland high school, and whose families pay taxes. He also signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. (Both measures could be overruled in November through ballot referendums.)
Republicans don't like him because: Though Catholic himself, he has often been at odds with conservative religious leaders, over both Maryland's legalization of same-sex marriage, and his support of the Affordable Care Act mandate requiring religious-affiliated organizations cover contraceptives in their insurance plans. "There has been a little bit too much hyperventilating over this issue," he said about the Catholic contraceptive controversy, which many Republicans called an attack on religious freedom.
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