Michigan

Island Quick Notes

A quick heads up on this weekend's Mackinac Island activities.

Decompressing from the Michigan Republican Party’s Mackinac Island leadership conference.

“Together We Rise” was this year’s event theme, and the invited speakers were phenomenal. Speaking over the weekend to the Michigan Republicans was Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky, Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri, Former U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The Grand Hotel on the island was the setting for this year’s event (as well as all before), with several panels and opportunities to socialize.

Coming away from the conference a few questions remain on what we might see on a couple of major races.   As yet (unless I missed something), lt Governor Brian Calley has not yet declared his candidacy for Governor, and the lack of organizational element present on the island suggests he probably will not.  Likewise the question of whether the US Senate race will also include U.S. representative Fred Upton is unanswered.

the latter item may well have been answered with the new design of his political paraphernalia, showing no seat designation, and including the state as a whole, instead of a district.  Upton had people on the ground and his own rally, something not usually seen for a simple win congressional re-election campaign.

I have over a thousand pictures to process, and will get back to this as soon as I can.

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The Good The Bad & The Other

Expected Republican candidates for governor reviewed.

The Michigan Republican field can be quite interesting sometimes.

As many might already realize, a Democrat candidate could be a criminally challenged former State Representative, and still get the full (and active) support from the party of the left in a bid for major office. The bland but nevertheless regressive nature of the left allows even the most obscene stupidity in it’s ranks.  No special prerequisites for candidates other than kill babies, deny God, and let little boys be little girls if they want.

Republican contenders must have their own specific characteristics and features.  No such amorphous qualities are allowed to exist on the right (as they do in the left) to win over all factions of the GOP brand. Below is a list of the expected and declared Republican candidates for governor, and my own estimation of their specific advantage and disadvantages in securing maximum support from GOP supporters and grassroots.  They may or may not be in the order suggested by the title of this piece.

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We Could Be So Lucky?

Hey Brian Calley, I double dawg dare ya!

Next to Rick Snyder, John Kasich is about as crappy a GOP governor as they come.

Swamp dwelling, crony, big government.  But enough about Mr Snyder, as he will be soon relegated to the back pages of the lousy Michigan RINO politicians catalogue.

I suppose however, I could expound upon the fact he led us exactly where Ohio’s Governor Kasich Did. And in contrast, other state leaders understood what a raw deal Obamacare was, and refused to play in the healthcare toilet with the former president.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal Was one of them. Unafraid to opine, he clearly presented medicaid expansion for what it was, a dependency scam that leadership failures like Kasich and Snyder embraced.

But speaking of Ohio’s governor, his protege is about to embarrass him further than he has already with his pitiful presidential bid.  The loser is going to be shown by his Lt. Governor how good government is done. The student becomes the master.

Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said Monday she would end the Medicaid expansion in Ohio if she is elected governor – a clean break from the man she has served alongside for the last seven years, Gov. John Kasich.   …

“Medicaid expansion is fiscally unsustainable and will be ended under a Taylor administration,” Taylor said. “I believe that we must identify new, innovative, market-based reforms to address the issues Medicaid currently addresses today. I want to return Medicaid to its original mission of serving the people who need it while incentivizing work and ensuring opportunities for long-term success for those who are able.”

Don’t we all love happy storybook endings?

Of course, what can we say about the guy who was one changed vote away from having to cast the tie breaking vote of HB4717?  Or the eight who really never had a clue which goal line was their own.

Anyhow, we wish the Lt. Grasshopper of Ohio the best in her gubernatorial bid, and thank her for her willingness to get out in front with some much needed political jujitsu.

 

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Bow Tie Bad Ass?

Former Michigan Supreme Court chief hits the ground running.

Bob Young knows how bad Debbie Stabenow’s performance has been.

He knows she is a tool of the crazy left who [just prior] to each election cycle plays a little more accessible to the normals and puts on a conservative face.  H eknows how bad her policies have been for Michigan and the nation.

I suppose anyone with an IQ above room temperature would know these things as well.

Of course, until Kid Rock actually files and demonstrates that he is a serious candidate, Young is the easy favorite.  Others who have entertained the idea of occupying the seat that the meat puppet now enjoys are now looking at more attainable goals.

 

 

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They Never Quit – Updated

Michigan Civil Rights Commission meets Monday September 18 to potentially redefine sexual identity.

You all might recall the whole Frank Foster Fiasco?

In an effort to force the public into accepting deviant lifestyles as normal, the Elliot Larsen civil rights act was seen as an avenue of success.  Certain GOP representatives were lobbied for maximum influence and given vast sums of ‘campaign’ cash to encourage inclusion of homosexuals a separate protected class under the act.

Foster, a ‘tea party’ favorite when first elected, allowed his political ambitions to put at risk all that he purportedly stood for.  Foster gambled on money being more important than blatant disregard for the people he represented, while pro homosexual activists were betting that an avowed ‘conservative’ would be the best path to the change in Elliot Larsen, they failed to properly estimate his constituents.

Instead of getting the change they desired, other GOP legislators in the state were clearly warned that flirting with the goals of the fringe left was nothing short of a political death wish. Elliot Larsen Changes were abandoned, and until now, the path to ‘normalcy’ a freakishly far-off dream.

Yes, “until now.”   Because in a few days, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission could be contemplating redefining the definition of sex.

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Social Media

The little guys could very well become little again.

We use Facebook, Twitter, Google, and some other platforms, but a recent experience with our internet oriented family business has left me a little concerned.

For 20 years, we have operated a web based security camera equipment business.  For 20 years I have fought for keyword optimization, good search results, and developed a reputation befitting the nearly first store of its kind on the internet.

It has always been tough, and others now do the search optimization a little better.  But over that same time I have developed good relationships, and the customer base remains sufficiently strong.

Strong enough in fact to have missed the impact of some serious subversion that was going on for nearly two weeks.

Late in August, I was reviewing visit statistics for CU1.COM, and noticed a sudden drop of about 300 daily visitors starting on August 12. Followup revealed that the website had been completely scrubbed from the Google search engine.  Even using the EXACT domain address as a search term, Google returned only an alternate possibility with it’s “Do you mean ..?” suggestion.

I was able to reach a support person at Google, and explained my concern, and the site appeared later that day as-if it had never had been missing.

Consider that the internet has provided those new ways in which we can communicate.  First we had chat rooms, then the blogs.  At the point of that last, a new investigative phenomenon had been born.  Citizen reporters and pundits.  Big Media had it’s grip broken, and no longer was there a leash on the truth.  When Twitter, facebook, and other social media  venues began and the phenomenon of facebook page likes became a rage, it appeared there was even more opportunity to get ‘the message’ out.

Partly True, until it no longer is.   Really.

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Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference Deadline

Today is the last day to register if you wish to attend.

Today is the last day to register online for the conference! You can register on the island for an additional cost. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on this memorable Grand Hotel experience.

The 32nd Biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference will feature RNC Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel, Betsy DeVos, Governor Eric Greitens, former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, former Governor John Engler, and many more.

Join Republican activists and elected officials from across the state and the country as we discuss ideas, share the Republican message, and celebrate Michigan’s success.

Please visit http://www.mackinacgop.com/ to register before close of business today!

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So You Want To Be In Government?

Why would anyone bother getting involved JUST because of a class?

Some folks think that citizen engagement is pitiful, so we are going to have classes on how to be engaged.

Let that sink in.  You are too busy dealing with all of the complications of life (jobs, family, American Idol), added to the complications of government (Taxes, zoning, naming of trail systems), and frankly, you have zero interest in managing the community budget.  Is there time left in your day to fully engage?

Unless Idol is cancelled, your box under the bridge falls apart, family members around you stop going to school, or stop getting married, or never need to go to the hospital, those few extra moments you are blessed with are precious.  That free time is becoming rarer as the more dedicated mini-Stalins take the reigns at all level of government. (yes, I purposefully avoided the ‘Hitler’ word. )

We are over managed by an out-of-control Federal bureaucracy, and our local governments have never been so in-your-face with private property rights deprecation in the history of our ‘conquered’ new world. (Columbus day wasn’t that long ago)  Dealing with what used to be the simplest of issues now requires a council meeting, permission, a check, and a rubber stamp.

But MSU extension has the fix.  Lets teach more dunderheads how to rule effectively!  The TC Ticker lays it out:

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A Big Nothing

Happy Labor Day.

There was certainly traffic, but..

I was all psyched about getting up in the air and videotaping the expected back ups along I-75 and US 2 with the closure of the Mighty Mac today.  I Had the video camera ready, had the glass on the cameras, and then nothing.

Storms rolled through the region, and the flight plans changed from getting to the trouble spots on time, to about 2 hours late. We hit the bridge about 40 minutes after it had already opened.  No cool video of 50 miles of traffic back-ups, and no pictures of the throngs of people breaking in a new set of sneakers.

Chalk it up to how things can go sometimes.

So until the next over-hyped thing we promote here, enjoy an aerial picture of the bridge as it rests underneath a rain cloud.

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The Bridge

Monday's bridge closing to traffic highlights willful ignoring of reality.

On Monday, the Michigan Department of Transportation will have a mess on its hands.

I will be doing some special reporting on the day’s fun if all goes well.   In the meantime, enjoy a picture of the calm before the storm.  A shot taken at 2:30 this morning. 

Stay tuned.

 

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