Michigan Political Week in Review: Sept. 27 - Oct. 3
Six days until the Bernero/Snyder debate and one month to Election Day. Have you already made up your mind yet on your candidate?
Odds are that you have, but that doesn’t mean a torrent of attack ads won’t be invading your television and stereo over the next month. But do you know who you’re voting for down the ticket? If you are like those of us here at Michigan LCV, you’ve spent the past week obsessively tracking any and all news on the elections to answer that very question. If, however, you felt that there were other news items that also warranted your attention (the upcoming Michigan vs. Michigan State game, for example), here is your Political Week in Review:
Governor’s Race:
Both candidates continue to bring their respective stump speeches to fundraisers and town halls across the state as voters begin to tune in more and more the closer we get to Nov. 2. Of course, the Oct. 10 debate looms large, too. If there is to be a swing in the momentum of this race that currently has Snyder with a big lead, this debate would be the place for it. One big gaffe can make a huge impact.
The candidates are heading up north soon, which is great to see as it will force them to address the concerns surrounding the public trust of water and the need for full funding of the Pure Michigan campaign. I imagine that jobs may come up, as well, especially with parts of the Upper Peninsula experiencing unemployment rates at a heartbreaking 22%. Last week, however, Snyder was farther south as he visited Detroit to talk about his urban agenda, a fact which created two unusual sites for Detroiters: A Republican candidate coming into the heart of the city and the giant blue and green RV that he came in on.
To bring you up to speed on the attack ads being put out right now, here is a very quick summary: According to outside groups, like the Republican Governor’s Association, Virg Bernero is just another lifetime politician who frivolously spends taxpayer dollars, has no plan for Michigan’s future, and is personally responsible for foreclosures and job losses in Lansing. Then, according to the ads against Snyder, Rick not only outsources jobs and sells American companies to Taiwan, but he smiles while cashing in on the stock options that go up as a result of it.
As it stands, listening to these ads in a vacuum, it would appear that both candidates are more deserving of a jail cell than a governor’s mansion. We highly recommend checking out the Truth Squad, which does a good job of analyzing all these ads and crying foul when it is warranted. Michigan LCV’s Candidate Tracker remains another excellent way to place all of these advertisements in some context of the larger race and public debate.
Legislative Races:
Candidates across the state are knocking doors hard. With a top-of-the-ticket race that does not appear to be exciting the bases of either party as much as in the past, it is more important than ever for the state House and Senate candidates to personally introduce themselves. Without going into detail on all the races across the state, it is safe to simply note that each party is zeroing in on the races they believe to be the tightest. If you live in one of those competitive races, get ready for the ad assaults.
The control of the state House and Senate is going to be determined by about a dozen highly charged races. For our part, we’re going to be fighting for the best candidate on our issues regardless of their party affiliation. Last week, we rolled out a new endorsement for Sarah Roberts to represent St. Clair Shores, Harrison Township, and parts of Grosse Pointe Shores. To see all our endorsements, please visit our website.
Other races:
The Michigan Supreme Court election is a crucial one, so please remind your friends to vote all the way down the ballot, including the non-partisan section. Although more lawyers prefer Justice Alton Thomas Davis and Judge Denise Langford Morris for the job, their voices won’t be the only ones on this important race come Nov. 2. Justice Bob Young has a terrible record on conservation issues --- the case in which he ruled that Nestle could guzzle up our water without reasonable restrictions comes quickly to mind. Still, voters don’t have the easy crutch of party affiliation noted on the ballot for this race, so the outcome is more difficult to judge (pun intended).
Over the weekend, the Free Press focused on the Secretary of State race. This contest is about more than just the line to renew the tags for your license plate, it is about voting rights and voter access. Ruth Johnson and Jocelyn Benson, the Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively, offer two distinct backgrounds and visions. We highly recommend you read the Free Press articles and the candidates’ websites.
In the Attorney General race, Bill Schuette’s name is more recognizable than David Leyton’s to this point, but the recent scandal within Mike Cox’s office over Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has added a new spotlight to this race. For those of you unfamiliar with this particular issue, I don’t have the words to explain the “unfathomable idiocy” of Shirvell. Watch Anderson Cooper’s interview with this fool to see the absurdity of it all. Leyton has called on Schuette to explain what he would do with Shirvell if he was in office; the fact that there wasn’t an immediate and resounding reply that he would simply fire him is disappointing, to say the least. We won’t even mention Mike Cox’s damning inaction.
Coming up next:
By this time next week we’ll have witnessed the gubernatorial debate and I’m sure we’ll have plenty to say on it. The congressional races in Michigan’s 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 9th also will be garnering more attention as the national parties recalculate what it will require to keep or take the House and Senate. The impact of shadowy third-party groups also is going to be worth watching, as conservative groups outspend progressives by a ratio of 8 to 1.
Until next week,
Ryan Werder, Political Director
