Michigan Political Week in Review: Oct. 12-18
Halloween isn’t the only scary thing coming up on the calendar in the next couple of weeks. The choices that voters face on Nov. 2 are starker than ever as the candidates contrast themselves more each day.
As these campaigns evolve and make their final pitches to what voters care about most (hint: jobs), we are all forced to dig harder than ever to find what lies behind the 30-second ads and the five-second sound bites.
My apologies for the one-day delay in posting this, but things are busier than ever here.
Governor’s Race:
It seems that the gubernatorial debate was as inspiring to other voters across the state as it was to us here at Michigan LCV. Despite a poll before the debate that showed Bernero narrowing Snyder’s lead, a more recent one shows Snyder still ahead by 21.4%. With two weeks left to go, it is difficult to see the path to a Bernero victory, especially with the headwinds against all Democrats this cycle.
Still, the Bernero team deserves enormous credit for continuing hard along the campaign trail and raising important issues like the revival of manufacturing that demand attention in this race, especially in the context of alternative energy production. As the campaign closes out, it will be interesting to see how Bernero will spend these last two weeks with the guaranteed press coverage at his disposal --- attacking Snyder or attacking the issues.
Once again, I’d like to remind readers to keep checking our Candidate Tracker for updates on the race. Things are moving quickly now and we continue to provide a one-stop resource for updates. Furthermore, for those who are looking for something new to watch given the end of the Tigers’ season (and, alas, the Wolverines’?), please check out the pared-down version of our sister organization’s Candidate Forum featuring Snyder and Bernero debating conservation issues.
Other state-wide races:
The same poll that shows Republican Rick Snyder up by more than 20 points shows Democrat Jocelyn Benson --- running for Secretary of State --- in an essentially tied race with her opponent Ruth Johnson. Benson had an impressive Sunday; not only did she receive a medal for completing the Detroit Free Press Marathon, but she also received their endorsement. Ruth Johnson, on the other hand, captured the Detroit News endorsement in a decidedly less exhausting manner.
At this point, both candidates are slugging it out on the campaign trail and have ads up on the air. Ruth Johnson’s is a little odd, however, in that it never even mentions for which office she's running. Benson’s are expected to air for the remainder of the cycle, as well. In many ways, this race is a battle of name recognition. Speaking of ads, though, this race does feature one of the absolute worst of the election in terms of production and content.
As mentioned in previous PWIR’s, the Supreme Court race is as crucial as any other on the ballot this year. The Michigan Democratic Party is attempting to hit Justice Young on a number of fronts in various ads. For our part at Michigan LCV, we think the fact that Young is willing to sell out our Great Lakes water to foreign companies should be enough to settle the question. In that regard, this ad seems more to the point.
Please note that we endorsed Justice Alton Thomas Davis in this race and encourage you to remind all your friends to vote the entire ballot including the non-partisan section. Too often these Supreme Court races are decided by an unfortunate combination of party stalwarts and voters judging by what name sounds more “judicial.” Please be sure you are aware of the options, and consequences, of this race before you pick.
Congressional Races:
Mark Schauer is in the midst of a fight that is among the most hotly contested in the nation. The National League of Conservation Voters is working hard in this race, as are a host of other progressive groups (and a host of conservative groups). More and more, it resembles a microcosm of the much-larger battle being fought across the country between a far-right Tea Party candidate and pragmatic, honest incumbents --- both Democrat and Republican.
We have now seen the Tea Party crush moderate Republicans like Mike Castle in Delaware and Charlie Crist in Florida. The question of whether they can similarly defeat the Democrats they have an even greater loathing for will be settled soon enough. The race in this district, though, is ostensibly tied up. Much of the outcome will depend on Schauer’s ability to get out the vote to counter the Tea Party enthusiasm.
Gary Peters is also on the edge of his seat, if you will, to learn the outcome of his race against Rocky Raczkowski. There is no guaranteed winner here and, once again, much will rely on their respective Election Day on-the-ground efforts. Peters has worked hard to keep some distance between himself and the Obama Administration which may buy him some extra breathing room.
A couple other interesting races to watch are in the UP and in Grand Rapids. In the UP, Gary McDowell is running against Dan Benishek (speaking of Tea Partiers who tackled mainstream Republicans). This seat is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi and one of the most essential to protecting our natural resources in Michigan. It appears that Benishek currently holds a tentative lead.
Forgive the repetitiveness if I note yet another Tea Party candidate. But, then again, we’ll have a lot more to apologize for in the name of our state if some of these guys actually make into office to represent us. Justin Amash is running against a very bright, capable Democrat in Pat Miles. In a part of the state that is reliably in the GOP column, it is interesting to see so many prominent Republicans coming out against Amash.
Bill Farr, the former Chair of the Republican Party in Kent County (and, incidentally, the former Chair of Michigan LCV) noted of Amash that “his views are so extreme, I think he is even to the right of the Tea Party movement.” The Republicans backing Miles are some of the most prominent in the region and require the voters in the 3rd Congressional District to be very aware of the vivid contrast between the candidates.
In remembrance:
On Sunday, Michigan lost a valuable public servant in State Rep. Bob Jones. Jones was running for State Senate while battling esophageal cancer. Support for his wife and six children has poured in from across the state and across political divides. The impact of his passing on the State Senate race is still unclear, however both parties have ceased mailings and remain focused on remembering a man dedicated to advancing his city of Kalamazoo and the State of Michigan as a whole.
Until Next Week,
Ryan Werder, Political Director
