Many months ago I assumed that incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder
would grind away at Democratic challenger Mark Schauer by relentlessly linking
the former state Senate Minority Leader to ex-governor Jennifer Granholm and
Michigan’s “lost decade.”
would grind away at Democratic challenger Mark Schauer by relentlessly linking
the former state Senate Minority Leader to ex-governor Jennifer Granholm and
Michigan’s “lost decade.”
It wasn’t until about six weeks before the November
election that the Republicans began to run ads on Snyder’s behalf that made the
Granholm-Schauer connection. And it wasn’t until near the end of Sunday night’s
gubernatorial campaign debate that Snyder finally mentioned the lost decade of
2000-10 when Michigan’s economy was a mess.
election that the Republicans began to run ads on Snyder’s behalf that made the
Granholm-Schauer connection. And it wasn’t until near the end of Sunday night’s
gubernatorial campaign debate that Snyder finally mentioned the lost decade of
2000-10 when Michigan’s economy was a mess.
(In a
bit of a slip, a Michigan Democratic Party press release this morning blasted
Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land’s previous opposition to the 2008-09 auto
industry rescue that “saved millions of jobs and brought
Michigan’s economy back from the brink of total collapse.” The obvious
question: Are the Dems conceding that the economy was “on the brink of total
collapse” under Granhlom, just before Snyder took over?)
At the same time, it was quite a surprise that the incumbent
governor never discussed his predecessor, Granholm, during Sunday’s hour-long
town hall forum. Just the mention of that name creates a visceral, negative
reaction among many voters four years after she left office and left the state.
governor never discussed his predecessor, Granholm, during Sunday’s hour-long
town hall forum. Just the mention of that name creates a visceral, negative
reaction among many voters four years after she left office and left the state.
Schauer certainly wasn’t going to mention the prior governor. But in an interview with The Macomb Daily earlier this month,
Snyder staunchly defended the negative Schauer-Granholm ads. But on Sunday, it
was noticeably odd that he never went in that direction.
Snyder staunchly defended the negative Schauer-Granholm ads. But on Sunday, it
was noticeably odd that he never went in that direction.
(The oddest part of the entire debate was Schauer calling
the governor “Rick” throughout, and the governor and the media panel referring
to the Democratic challenger as “congressman.” Presidents and governors carry
their title for life, but why was it that Snyder didn’t pipe up at some point
and mention that Schauer only served two years in Congress until voters ousted
him?)
Meanwhile, at an event in Clinton
Township this morning, Snyder again told reporters that Schauer is knowingly
repeating the lie that his administration cut K-12 education funding by $1
billion.
“He’s proven over and over again that he’s
lying on this,” Snyder said. “When someone says a lie over and over, sometimes
people start to believe it.”
lying on this,” Snyder said. “When someone says a lie over and over, sometimes
people start to believe it.”
