Jan.15.2008
3:55 pm
by Stephen Kruiser (R-Los Angeles)
Casting Prayers In Michigan
Good luck, Michiganders, it’s your turn to muddy up the Republican nomination picture. If the GOP had fifty candidates this year it would be conceivable that we’d have a different winner in each state. The presumptive Democratic nominee will have about nine months to get his or her message out without being attacked from within while the Republican will have about three minutes once all this is cleared up. Of course, no Republican will be thrilled this year unless Ronald Reagan rides down from heaven on a white horse, carrying a can of electoral whup-ass.
Michigan gets a special chance to screw things up right now because Morphing Mitt is a native son. Like most Michigan natives, Romney had to move to another state to find a good job. Still, the traction Mitt couldn’t buy for six or seven trillion dollars in Iowa and New Hampshire might be purchased with little more than a birth certificate today.
The primary process is either wonderfully unique or maddening, depending on your perspective. While looking for a national candidate for a national election, primary voters tend to think at the state level. It’s almost like we’re voting for an extra governor with a really great Washington hook-up when we vote in the primaries. The attitude runs along the lines of, “Screw your electability in the fall, tell me what you can do for my state now, bitch.”
Michigan presents an interesting case right now because it needs so much. It loses jobs faster than Britney loses custody hearings and has an unemployment rate higher than the national average. And it wants a president who will make it all better.
The real problem, however, is that most of its economic wounds are self inflicted. In recent years it elected a governor who had railed against pharmaceutical companies then was shocked when Pfizer said, “F this noise, we’re moving to Connecticut.”
During that same time the state sent a new senator to Washington who is a favorite of Big Labor and can’t connect any dots between it and Michigan’s economic woes. Debbie Stabenow doesn’t grasp the truth that labor unions don’t create jobs. OK, maybe for a few attorneys and Democratic politicians, but not for the great masses whom they allegedly protect. They’ve practically broken the backs of the Big Three automakers. Stabenow’s solution? Let the government pay for the health care concessions that the unions extorted from management. Oh, and protect the pensions.
American Princess gives a local perspective on what ails Michigan today. Wherever you look, however, you can find examples of state that is openly hostile to business then wonders why businesses don’t want to move there. “I think you’re evil and I will work tirelessly to destroy you. Wanna stay for a while?”
Michigan isn’t actually looking for a president today, it’s looking for a savior. Perhaps the voters should first look at Governor Jen and Senator Deb and realize that even a president who is a great businessman (Romney), a ballsy maverick (McCain) or even a saint (Obama) can’t save them if they don’t want to save themselves.
Cross posted at America Needs Me and Real Clear Politics (VOTE for it!)
Filed in Election 2008 |
