For a non-politician, Rick Snyder is doing a masterful job of manipulating the electoral system and reading the polls. His recent move to agree to one debate after shutting down negotiations with the Bernero campaign, should raise a red flag on the current favorite to be Michigan’s next Governor. Snyder has a vague ten point plan, but has yet to do anything to show real courage. The “tough nerd” has yet to behave in a way that is “tough.” He avoided debates during the primary, and to my knowledge, has yet to speak before an audience that contain his critics. How can we trust his ability to work with the legislature and “reform government” if he cannot outdebate Lansing’s mayor or speak to a critical audience.
Make no mistake, I don’t write here to proclaim Virg Bernero as the next savior of Michigan. Yet, I do give him credit for taking action. He saw a roadblock to debates and was aggressive in his work to engage Snyder. He has shown himself willing to speak before any crowd, at any time. His personality has shown toughness, something he deserves credit for.
In the early 1960s, John Kennedy and Barry Goldwater (two men with strong differences of opinion) agreed to campaign for the Presidency together, speaking before crowds to articulate their differences. This proposal for real education of the public about who to vote for is sadly missing in a place that needs leadership, Michigan. I hear the arguments made against debates, that they are no more than glorified campaign commercials. If that’s what Snyder is trying to avoid, why not make a proposal to change the rules and create a real debate? That would be a stronger statement of leadership that avoidance.
Refusing, or avoiding debates is the weakest move a politician can make. Don’t look now, but the “outsider” shows a real knowledge of how to work the system.
yep, Virg quite the manly man--that must be why it is said that Virg took political donations/funds from Manuel J. Moroun, the current Ambassador bridge owner who is fighting most every decent person in Michigan and Canada in order to keep his monopolistic control over the crossing back and forth to Canada of people and goods, by fighting to get some politicians in his pocket to thwart the peoples will to build a new an independent bridge.
ReplyDeleteHum, Rick for Michigan didn't take any of this type of special interest money--is that a sign of weakness in your eyes?
Rick seems to be financing the campaign on his own, but it would not shock me to find some peculiar contributions on his side of the ledger too. Face it, every politician at the state and federal level is taking money from someone that goes against the mainstream of society.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, I don't know that I've ever referred to any male as a "manly man," nor do I ever plan to do so. The point I was making in the post was that he deserves credit for taking action and that Rick is the "outsider" who really doesn't seem that different from anyone else.
Another big problem I have with Virg (and this is coming from a person who has a history of almost always voting Dem)is he will be very beholdened to the unions if he gets elected, and they are the ones that almost single handed delivered him the party nomination.
ReplyDeleteI like the unions in general (no anti-union guy here even if in my job I don't belong to one)and I feel they have been given the short end of the stick based on our national politics under the Bush.
However, I have to agree with what I read posted somewhere else by another blogger recently:That being, yes I want the unions at the table helping in shaping Michigan's future as they certainly deserve a role--but what I don't want is ---them owning the room. Unions like most special interests look out for their interests and members foremost,sometimes to the unintended (to be perhaps overly kind) detriment of the rest of the public as a whole's interest (i.e. for state unionized workers--pushing wages and benefits that are not inline with the most of the rest of the states private employees, which only causes bloated budgets as the tax base continues to shrink as everyone else has repressed wages in comparison. And/or a stratified society where you have the better off state workers versus the rest of us toiling at sub par wages and being taxed at a higher and higher level to support these 'overlords' lifestyles.