GOP fall event to draw Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Gingrich

Daily Press ^ | 3/23/07

[areafiftyone]

Republican activists will get the chance to hear three presidential front-runners already running hard in Michigan — Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney — speak to them this fall on Mackinac Island.

The Michigan Republican Party announced Friday that the three have agreed to speak at the party’s biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference to be held Sept. 21-23 at the historic Grand Hotel. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has said he will wait until this fall before deciding if he’ll run, also will address the conference.

“This already impressive list of guests is just the beginning,” state GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis said in a release. The presidential hopefuls will speak during meals in the hotel’s massive dining room and are expected to hold other meetings with supporters.

The conference, held in odd-numbered years, usually draws around 3,000 Republican activists, guests, journalists and political pundits to the island situated in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Motor vehicles generally are banned from the island, so guests get around by foot and horse-drawn taxis, or on bicycles and horseback.

Michigan, a crucial swing state in general elections that hopes to play a role in choosing the 2008 presidential candidates, already is drawing the attention of many of those running, especially Republicans.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, addressed 1,000 people on March 16 at the Macomb County Republican Lincoln Day dinner in Sterling Heights. McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, is scheduled to speak to Kalamazoo County Republicans on April 13.

Two GOP presidential candidates will be in the state on April 28: former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, who will speak at a Genesee County GOP Lincoln Day event, and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, who will speak to Van Buren County Republicans.

On Saturday, supporters of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama will kick off his Michigan campaign at the Novi Crowne Plaza Hotel. The U.S. senator from Illinois is not expected to attend, but supporters say he should be in Michigan this spring.

A poll released Monday by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA showed that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic favorite in Michigan while McCain and Giuliani are tops among Republicans. The polls were conducted among likely voters March 12 through Sunday and included 454 Democrats and 392 Republicans.

[areafiftyone]

((((RUDY PING))))

[areafiftyone]

Looks like after missing the CPAC and the Club for Growth one McCain is making sure he doesn't miss this one.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Hey Sam, will your father be making it to this event?

[Blackirish]

Did they invite Duncan Hunter?

[no dems]

PFFFFFFTTT!!! Forget Michigan. Anyone who would re-elect Debbie Stabenow and Jenny "I wannabe Marilyn Monroe" Grahnolm when that state is in the toilet economically, is not worth worrying about.
Michigan would vote Democrat if the anti-Christ was the Dem candidate for POTUS.

[no dems]

Of course not. See my post #6.

[areafiftyone]

I'm sure they did. I'm sure he will attend.

[David Isaac]

This is my home state. Somehow the GOP "machine" here managed to lose the governors race to a Democrat, who in my opinion, should have been easily defeated. As at the national level, we took the high road and did not attack the enemy and went down in flames.

When the surrender monkeys (not meaning the French) come for my money and my vote they will likely find neither. (Romney is on very shaky ground, with me. The other two, NEVER)

[blackie]

"Did they invite Duncan Hunter?"

No conservative candidates allowed!

[Tokra]

Mackinac Island is not only a beautiful spot - it's also chock full of history. Most Americans associate Colonial history with the East coast. Many do not realize that the Great Lakes have plenty of early history. In fact the 2 oldest settlements in America are St. Augustine in Florida and Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan.

Mackinac Island has the fabulous Grand Hotel - with the longest front porch in the world, a historic fort, many unusual natural formations, unbelievable views of blue sky and blue water and Indian legends galore.

If you've never been - do yourself a favor and visit it. Try to make it in the spring during the Lilac Festival. The entire island is covered with lilacs in bloom, the air is so perfumed you would think you were in a perfume factory.

For those who live in the South where lilacs don't bloom - you have no idea what you are missing.

The no motor vehicle rule coupled with being surrounded by water gives the Island a feel that no place else has.

(the Michigan Tourism Council ought to put me on their payroll!)

[JohnnyZ]

Anyone who would re-elect Debbie Stabenow and Jenny "I wannabe Marilyn Monroe" Grahnolm when that state is in the toilet economically

I ran into a laid off engineer from Michigan who:

A) Bitched about how he couldn't sell his house in Michigan, even though he was listing it for far more than his new house in North Carolina

B) Bitched because he couldn't find a cushy 6-figure job in North Carolina like the one he had in Michigan

C) Figured it would take a Democrat president to solve Michigan's economic problems

I guess it never occurred to him that labor unions and employing a bunch of massively overpaid workers like him had destroyed Michigan's economic competitiveness, killing off business and depressing Michigan's economy and housing market.

[Tokra]

PFFFFFFTTT!!! Forget Michigan. Anyone who would re-elect Debbie Stabenow and Jenny "I wannabe Marilyn Monroe" Grahnolm when that state is in the toilet economically, is not worth worrying about. Michigan would vote Democrat if the anti-Christ was the Dem candidate for POTUS.

Before you trash my state - keep in mind that Michigan gave more votes to GWB in the 2004 election than 43 other states did. Only NY, CA, TX, OH, PA and IL gave more votes to Bush than Michigan did.

Two and a half million Michigan voters voted for Bush in 2004 - don't write us off as non-existent!

[P-Marlowe]

Michigan would vote Democrat if the anti-Christ was the Dem candidate for POTUS.

And she may well be.

[no dems]

I lived in Michigan for 10 years and was very active in the political process in the GOP ranks. I went to the GOP Convention in New Orleans in '88 with the MI GOP Delegation when George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle were nominated. There are many, many dear friends of mine in that State whom I keep in touch with on a regular basis and love dearly. A MI friend is down here in Texas visiting me now, as a matter-of-fact. HOWEVER...............

See Post #12 from JohnnyZ. That pretty well says it all.

[Ciexyz]

Rudy bump.

[Duncan Hunter Ambassador]

I will find out.

[SunkenCiv]

Talk about symmetry! Michiganders of all parties feel the same way about you.

[no dems]

It might surprise you to know that in the 80’s, I was the GOP Chair of Michigan’s 15th Congressional District. I was active in MI politics for 10 years; I know MI politics and I stand by what I said.

Have a nice day!!!