Foxconn negotiated a deal with members of a political party that was in power, that deal was an empty promise, and those power brokers used that promise from Foxconn as part of their political messaging with the hope of being reelected.

Had those politicians stayed in office, it's possible they would reward Foxconn for participating in the charade that helped them obtain reelection. Is it certain? No, I won't say it is.

But, what else was Foxconn's goal if not to actually realize those incentives without having to make the investment to justify them? They knew they were promised an enormous incentive by the state, and they knew that they would not fulfill their end of the bargain. If they also knew that they wouldn't realize those incentives, why did they pursue them? The simplest answer is that they fully intended to realize them.

Surely at least some of the negotiators of that deal legitimately believed that the other party - the Republican Governor and majority legislature in the state - would play ball?

If the deal never really made sense and was just a ploy by the Governor to drum up support, then a change in administration would mean that the new administration has no interest in paying off Foxconn for their part in the charade.

Exactly.