Haley Barbour is a Republican politician from Mississippi who served as its governor from 2004 to 2012. In 2009, Barbour told the the Republican Governors Association,  “Generally, good gets better and bad gets worse.” He also added, “In politics, nothing is ever as good as it seems, and it is never as bad as it seems.” A Washington, D.C.-based Republican operative told Roll Call in 2010, “As [Mississippi Gov.] Haley Barbour said: ‘Good gets better, bad gets worse.’”
 
Barbour’s quote went viral in September 2012, when Mark Halperin wrote for Time magazine:
 
“Until Romney breaks this cycle, he is in danger of living out the Haley Barbour dictum: in politics, bad gets worse.”
 
The reason why “good gets better and bad gets worse” is that the press often bandwagons around success or failure, cementing a story line. Campaign contributions to a candidate either increase or decrease significantly. Barbour’s other dictum that “nothing is ever as good as it seems, and it is never as bad as it seems” has largely been forgotten.
 
   
Wikipedia: Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947) is an American Republican politician who served as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi, from 2004 to 2012. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007. Under Mississippi’s term limits, Barbour could not seek reelection in 2011. Before being elected Governor, Barbour “had a long career on the national stage and has been well-known as a Republican operative since the Reagan years.” He worked as a lawyer and lobbyist, was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate and also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1993 to 1997, during which time the Republicans captured both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives for the first time since 1954. On June 24, 2009, Barbour was elected the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association, following the resignation of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford as its leader.
 
MSNBC
Is the Republican Party making a comeback?
The GOP is excited over two recent wins, but are the tides really changing?
By Mark Murray, Deputy political director, NBC News
updated 11/23/2009 11:24:08 AM ET
(...)
Yet, as Barbour acknowledged at the RGA meeting, politics can change in the blink of an eye. Still, he noted, “Generally, good gets better and bad gets worse.”
 
But he also said this: “In politics, nothing is ever as good as it seems, and it is never as bad as it seems.”
   
Roll Call
Competing Polls Show Alaska Senate Race Wide Open
By David M. Drucker
Roll Call Staff
Oct. 29, 2010, 3:02 p.m.
(...)
“As [Mississippi Gov.] Haley Barbour said: ‘Good gets better, bad gets worse.’ Figure out where Miller falls into that statement,” said a Washington, D.C.-based Republican operative who has been closely following the Alaska race.
 
Time magazine
The Troubles
By MARK HALPERIN | September 10, 2012
(...)
Until Romney breaks this cycle, he is in danger of living out the Haley Barbour dictum: in politics, bad gets worse.
 
Twitter
Donald W. Taylor II
‏@donaldtaylorii
”... the Haley Barbour dictum: in politics bad gets worse.” http://goo.gl/tG5fI
6:05 AM - 10 Sep 12
 
Progressive Involvement
September 11, 2012
Quote of the Day
“In politics, bad gets worse.” 
Haley Barbour
   
Politico
Barbour: We shouldn’t let Dems pick our nominee
By MAGGIE HABERMAN | 9/12/12 3:08 PM EDT
(...)
COMMENTS
Andy Weber ·  Top Commenter · Ohio
He’s right, but that won’t change the Akin Situation.
“In politics, bad gets worse” - Haley Barbour.
Reply ·  · September 12 at 1:52pm