• Chad Dewey (Midland), businessman and apparently a C4L activist
  
• Clark Durant (Detroit), co-founder of the Cornerstone Schools - exploratory committee only as of this writing
  
• Randy Hekman (Grand Rapids), former Kent County Probate Court judge
  
• Pete Hoekstra (Holland), former U.S. representative (MI-2)
  
• Peter Konetchy (Roscommon), businessman
  
• John McCulloch (Royal Oak), Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner
  
• Rick Wilson (Grand Blanc), retired autoworker and unsuccessful candidate for the 5th district in 2010 - exploratory committee only as of this writing

• Jase Bolger, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
  
• Scotty Boman, Libertarian Party activist and perpetual LP candidate
  
• Gary Glenn, tea party activist
  
• Tim Leuliette, former Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Detroit Branch) chairman
  
• Stephen Markman, Michigan Supreme Court Justice
  
• Al Pease, businessman
  
• Rob Steele, cardiothoracic surgeon and unsuccessful challenger to Congressman John Dingell in 2010

Now, so far as I know, four of the five candidates that are currently running (Chad Dewey being the exception) have already reached out to the Independence Caucus of Michigan with the intention of going through the vetting process.  Given that the Michigan I-Caucus is the PAC that does the vetting and endorsing on behalf of the various members of the Michigan Tea Party Alliance, and given the success rate of the Michigan I-Caucus in the 2010 elections (18 of the 36 endorsed candidates survived their primary races, and 10 of those 18 won their general elections, which amounted to 27% of the I-Caucus success nationwide), that the candidates would already be initiating the vetting process is no small matter.  I'll keep you posted as to how that flushes out.

As with my article on the republican presidential primary dance card, I included the links to the websites of those candidates who have them for the reason that I consider it a good starting point in any serious research attempt on these candidates.  Find out what they have to say about themselves and what they think the issues are, and then go outward from there.

And then, share what you know.

The nice thing about a community blog effort is that we regular contributors have ways to dig up information consistent with our own unique combination of talents.  Thus, RightMichigan is often so much more than the sum of its parts.

What I'm asking here, of all of us, is that we use this article as an open discussion thread between now and whenever to discuss openly the options laid out before us with regard to the republican primary field for the 2012 U. S. Senate nomination for Michigan.  Yes, I'm specifically asking that those of you who have already posted video or some other commentary to re-post it in the commentary of this article.

Also, please cast a vote in the poll on the right.  (I've confined it to the names on the list of the official candidate field above, though I'm sure that there's a way to edit the poll options if the official field changes.)  And if you're feeling particularly ambitious, then by all means invite everyone you know to vote in the poll (because you don't have to have an account to actually cast a vote.)

If it should happen that you support a candidate who isn't currently listed in the poll (such as one of the seven who are currently speculated to run), then by all means feel free to comment and defend accordingly.  On the flip side of that same coin, should anyone have any credible discrediting information regarding a candidate not-yet-in, then present it if you wish.

And I am specifically inviting everyone who has an account on RightMichigan to feel free to comment on this thread.  Put forward your reasoned and logical opinion of why you think a particular candidate ought to be the nominee.  Yes, you should also offer reasoned rebuke and/or rejection of candidates if you have it, but if all you have to offer is rejection of the whole field, then your opinion isn't going to carry much weight here.  Oh, and as all regulars here ought to know, be prepared to defend your position - whether for or against a particular candidate - because that's just how we roll here.

As always, anyone posting or commenting to this thread, or any other on this site, is expected to keep it clean and civil.  (It should go without saying that there are consequences for doing otherwise.)

Me personally, I think that MIGOP ought to plaster this picture on every single available billboard in the state, and keep it there until November 7th, 2012.  At the very least, it'll drive home the point of why Stabenow needs to be replaced.