An article in the latest Bloomberg Businessweek suggests state executives might play the key role in helping Republicans rebound from a disappointing 2012 election.

If the think tanks are indeed past their prime, it’s the nation’s GOP governors who are most likely to lead a revival of Republican ideas. Republicans now hold 30 statehouses, and in the weeks since the election, Chris Christie of New Jersey, Susana Martinez of New Mexico, and Florida’s Rick Scott have been among the most outspoken critics of the party’s failure to adapt. “There’s a fight coming,” says David Welch, former head of opposition research for the Republican National Committee, who argues Republican leaders have allowed Tea Party activists to dumb down the GOP. “It’s a fight of ideas.” Leading this fight may be one of its young stars, Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, an Indian-American and potential 2016 presidential aspirant. A few days after the election, he offered this blunt advice at a meeting of fellow governors. To thrive, he said, Republicans have to “stop being the stupid party.”

Not mentioned in the article is the potential impact of North Carolina’s next governor.