Michigan Governor's Race encapsulates why the state is broken.

[WhipperSnapper]

Michigan's two term governor Jenny Granholm, a mediocre Democrat who backed Hillary in the presidential primaries, cannot run for reelection because of term limits.

"And in 5 years you're going to be blown away" (er, moving away) (when you see how I've transformed and improved Michigan's economy.)

This has created a gubernatorial vacuum where both Democrats and Republicans are duking it out in primaries. In a state that has the nation's worst job market, highest unemployment, worst outlook for the future, and worst economy, what, pray tell, could these gubernatorial candidates be fighting over in the primaries?

They should be fighting over, "Economy! Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Economy!"

That must be what they're debating, right? What else could possibly matter to the voters? What other issues could possibly be nearly as important as jobs and fixing the state's economy?













.... wait for it ....









.... wait for it ....











.... wait for it ....













Abortion! Surprise! Christianity strikes again!

One of the Republicans (let's call him "Hire Rick"), a charismatic political outsider businessman who seems to be pro-choice or at least not very anti-abortion and who is running on a slick economics/jobs type of campaign is being attacked by four anti-abortion Republicans over the abortion issue. The state's "Right to Life" group has chosen to back one of them so as not to dilute the vote against Rick.

On the other side of the aisle, one of the Democrats is known to be anti-abortion and the pro-choice forces have made abortion a large issue in the Democratic primaries.

Jobs and the economy should be the only issue that matters. It should be the only issue they ever discuss or campaign on. There's just no hope for this backwards state.

http://detnews.com/article/20100801...-Focus-on-jobs--not-abortion-in-governor-race

 

[boomerang]

This is the first I've heard of abortion being a key issue in the primaries. My guess would be the Detroit News needed an opinion piece and seized on this in lieu of any real issues.

Our next Governor is going to have a negligible impact on jobs and the economy in this state without a course correction in Washington. Until businesses have a clear picture of what the cost of doing business is going to be in the future, they're going to continue to hunker down in survival mode. All this uncertainty, combined with the specter of grossly increased taxes, regulations and the like makes for a very efficient job killing machine.

My guess is that both parties have avoided campaigning on jobs because they know that for the most part their hands are tied.

 

[Jhhnn]

This is the first I've heard of abortion being a key issue in the primaries. My guess would be the Detroit News needed an opinion piece and seized on this in lieu of any real issues.

Our next Governor is going to have a negligible impact on jobs and the economy in this state without a course correction in Washington. Until businesses have a clear picture of what the cost of doing business is going to be in the future, they're going to continue to hunker down in survival mode. All this uncertainty, combined with the specter of grossly increased taxes, regulations and the like makes for a very efficient job killing machine.

My guess is that both parties have avoided campaigning on jobs because they know that for the most part their hands are tied.

Fantastic misdirection and apologism rolled into one! Nice job!

Republicans have seized on abortion because it's the only thing they've got, the only thing that'll attract any voters at all. It's one of their standard emotional issues, one where voters get to refuse to think while voting.

And business isn't holding back for the reasons you state at all. They're holding back because they know they've screwed the pooch, particularly in Michigan. Once the stimulus ends, business will continue to decline, so they're hoarding liquidity, figuring on deflation and increased value down the road. Why risk when your money increases in value stuffed into your mattress?

 

[umbrella39]

I was a little surprised by the margins of victory in both races.

On a side note, hopefully the lead will hold out and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick will be tossed to the curb.

Good luck to Snyder and Bernero, either one would make a better governor than 100 Granholms.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Both pro-choice candidates (or at least the pro-choice Democrat and the not so anti-abortion Republican) won their primaries. Perhaps the Christian crazies will keep away from the general election in disgust.

In other news, Buttcheeks lost! Kilpatrick, the incumbent and mother of former disgraced mayor Kwame, lost her primary!

 

[boomerang]

Fantastic misdirection and apologism rolled into one! Nice job!

Republicans have seized on abortion because it's the only thing they've got, the only thing that'll attract any voters at all. It's one of their standard emotional issues, one where voters get to refuse to think while voting.

And business isn't holding back for the reasons you state at all. They're holding back because they know they've screwed the pooch, particularly in Michigan. Once the stimulus ends, business will continue to decline, so they're hoarding liquidity, figuring on deflation and increased value down the road. Why risk when your money increases in value stuffed into your mattress?

Progressivism and ignorance - partners for a Socialist America! I'll look for you at the next SEIU rally. Will you be the one beating up the black guy who doesn't know his place?

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that your post was made when you were up too late.

 

[halik]

Voted for Snyder via absentee ballot, he'll take the election for sure. Rep to Dem turnout was 2:1.

 

[TeeJay1952]

I voted Republican for the first time since G Mennen Williams. I liked the idea of someone giving back after being successful.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Voted for Snyder via absentee ballot, he'll take the election for sure. Rep to Dem turnout was 2:1.

I haven't paid all that much attention to either candidate yet, but so far I like Rick, too. I like the idea of bringing in someone who has a first-hand understanding of how businesses work and who thus might be able to lead Michigan in a race to the bottom (against the other 49 states).

I doubt that either candidate will be able to do much on the jobs and economy front. My ideas for fixing the state are:

• Fully legalize marijuana and tax it. This reduces wasteful criminal justice costs and increases marijuana tourism. (Cost to taxpayers--saves money, increases revenue.)
• Legalize gay marriage and benefit from new residents and whatever business they might bring. (Cost to taxpayers--nada.)
• Legalize prostitution and tax it. Stop wasting money on criminal justice costs for consensual crimes. (Cost to taxpayers--saves money, increases revenue.)
• Fully legalize all stem cell and biotech research, no restrictions whatsoever. (Cost to taxpayers--nada.)
• Use our lakeshore and abundant cool water to develop nuclear power, perhaps reducing the costs for electricity long-term and providing a product that can be exported to other states.
• Push forward with developing wind energy, including turbines in the lakes, if it truly makes economic sense.
• Try to change the state's image by focusing national attention on the city of Grand Rapids and try to market the state as a forward-looking, beautiful state with an up-and-coming city that would be great for businesses' headquarters. Try to make Grand Rapids and not Detroit the new face of Michigan. Market Michigan as, "A good place to live and a good place to do business."
• Begin work on completely renovating Detroit. Try to figure out a way to encourage the mass of urban poor to relocate to other states, completely demolish and level abandoned areas of the city. Encourage birth control and voluntary abortion for the impoverished inner city underclass. Take over the Detroit public schools, vanquish the school board, and fire all of the DPS administrators.

 

[Exterous]

I don't know about other districts but mine was a mess. I read through statements of all the congressional options and came to the conclusions that they were all idiots and that I couldn't vote for any of them. (I voted in other sections where not everyone was a complete idiot)
Canditdate 1: Top issue: How we have gotten away from the original intent of the founders under God
Candidate 2 Top Issue: Radical Islamists (Really? In Michigan? Not education, not economy, radical islam?)
Candidate 3 Top Issue: Abortion (How can abortion be the top issue? We have a few other major issues to deal with first)

Those were the ones that stuck out in my mind. Various other issues here and there

I don't really think we have anyone on the ballot on either side that can fix both education and the economy

 

[halik]

I don't know about other districts but mine was a mess. I read through statements of all the congressional options and came to the conclusions that they were all idiots and that I couldn't vote for any of them. (I voted in other sections where not everyone was a complete idiot)
Canditdate 1: Top issue: How we have gotten away from the original intent of the founders under God
Candidate 2 Top Issue: Radical Islamists (Really? In Michigan? Not education, not economy, radical islam?)
Candidate 3 Top Issue: Abortion (How can abortion be the top issue? We have a few other major issues to deal with first)

Those were the ones that stuck out in my mind. Various other issues here and there

I don't really think we have anyone on the ballot on either side that can fix both education and the economy

This is why Snyder won the primary, between the teabagger nonsense, bible thumping and trying to out-conservative each other, Cox and Pete H. screwed themselves. People are sick of that crap.