Tag: Patterson

Ballenger is back this weekend with the first round of publicly released opinion polling on the field of prospective candidates for Governor in 2010 (h/t to the BlogProf).  Darn it all if Republicans Mike Cox, Terri Lynn Land, and L. Brooks Patterson (a man who hasn't even announced his intentions to run and has about six percent name recognition outside the Metro Detroit area) don't rack up convincing wins against likely Democratic nominee John Cherry.  Seven, five and four points respectively.

Maybe running on Jennifer Granholm's record isn't such a good idea after all?

Only time will tell, and there's still a loooot of that.  Remember, there was a time early in the 2006 cycle when Dick DeVos held a double-digit polling lead on Jennifer Granholm and we all know how that turned out.

But, as I became accustomed to saying about otherwise worthless numbers during that particular run, they might not mean anything but they're better than a kick in the head.

So with visions of conservative victories dancing in our heads, figured we'd have a little multi-media Sunday.  Below you'll find the State Republican convention speeches delivered by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General only about a month ago.

Check `em out... in order of who currently beats Cherry by more... (lest anyone ever accuse me of playing favorites).

In 2010 just about everything is up for grabs in Michigan.  We've got the Governor's race, the AG, the Secretary of State, the entire State Senate, the whole House, every member of Congress including Mark "I swear I won't run for Congress" Schauer and Yooooooooour (former) Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters... Supreme Court seats... the list goes on and on.

So what's the buzz around the convention thus far?  

That's the tricky part.  Let me be frank... if I wanted to play the part of Tim Skubick I could give you a dozen and a half early campaign announcements and rumors.  And not just today or this weekend but for the past months.

But I'm not Skubick.  I'm not a reporter.  I'm a conservative who blogs and I count a lot of the men and women bouncing around this convention floor as friends... if I hear something specifically off the record or can't track down the candidate him or herself (or a top staffer) to verify it then I'm going to shut my yap.

I know.  I'm lame.  

But that's not to say there aren't some rumors that I'm able to substantiate.  So here's the latest and greatest from MRP Convention Day 1:

In the 19th District Special Election its Mike Nofs or bust.  The man has locked up support in and around the convention and was getting his name dropped by activists from across the state.  This is going to be a national race and expected to see an infusion of millions of Dem dollars so watching the Party rally around a candidate with broad bipartisan cross-over appeal is exciting.  Mike Simpson and Marty Griffin, look out.

More below...

Both the Michigan Republican Party and the Michigan Democrats are holding their winter conventions this weekend and on the GOP side, the campaigns for Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General unofficially begin.

Not that there isn't one major difference.  Over on the RIGHT side of things, convention delegates... thousands of them... will select the Party's candidates for AG and SoS (the gubernatorial nominee s selected by both parties via primary).  Over on the LEFT its up to the UAW.  No.  Hyperbole aside.  Seriously.  

It appears the Dems have already selected their AG nominee.  Despite her connection to a massive Bureau of Elections investigation into serious campaign finance irregularities stemming from the 2006 election, state Senator Gretchen Whitmer all but has that spot sewed up.

John Cherry is the man with all of the Big Labor backing in the race to follow Jennifer Granholm at the state Capitol.  Barring a huge electoral shocker, that just leaves holes in two places.  MDP still needs a nominee for Secretary of State and he or she simply must be black.  Not Hispanic.  Not Asian.  Not Jewish or Indian or Arab.  Black.  Because quotas are cool, apparently.

No matter how you cut that cake, though, there isn't much excitement left in the selection process for Democratic activists.  Quite simply, they have no input.  

QUITE the contrary over at the Michigan Republican Party.  This weekend, aside from the technical work of officially selecting Ambassador Ron Weiser to be the next Party Chairman, picking various vice chairs and other Party positions, the activists and volunteers and normal, average working moms and dads from across the state will have a chance to get a good long look at more than a couple of handfuls worth of candidates.

Read on...