When Louisiana's governor Kathleen Blanco and Ohio's governor Bob Taft won major legislative victories in the face of plummeting polls, it surprised the statehouse journalists who covered them. And, well, it should have. The link between popularity and legislative success is an important part of the lore of American politics, buttressed by systematic studies at the national level and frequent observations in states. Essential to the notion of political capital is the understanding that chief executives can spend it by translating strong public approval into policy persuasion. The converse should also be true: unpopular leaders should be hamstrung by their poll numbers, unable to convince legislators to past he agendas they propose.