Posted on 08/12/2005 2:58:02 PM PDT by msuMD
Candice Miller announced earlier this week she would run in 2006 for another term in Congress rather than jump into the governor's race, but a recent poll suggests she would have been a strong opponent to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The poll conducted Aug. 2 through Tuesday and released Thursday by Lansing-based EPIC/MRA shows the former Michigan secretary of state easily outdistancing Ada businessman Dick DeVos in a GOP gubernatorial primary.
It also shows that Miller at this point would pose much more of a threat to the Democratic governor, with 47 choosing Granholm and 45 percent Miller in a head-to-head matchup and 8 percent undecided.
Granholm beat DeVos 56 percent to 36 percent in a head-to-head matchup, with 8 percent undecided. In an EPIC/MRA poll taken a month ago, Granholm led DeVos 51 percent to 33 percent, with 16 percent undecided.
The poll showing the Republican-Democratic matchups in the governor's race was conducted among 600 likely voters statewide and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The poll showing the matchups among GOP candidates was conducted on the same dates among 436 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Miller, of Macomb County's Harrison Township, remained the favorite in the GOP field even after voters who might not have known much about DeVos or the others considering the race were given descriptions of them.
Forty-three percent of those surveyed said they'd pick Miller if the GOP primary were held today, compared to 29 percent who would pick DeVos. Ted Nugent -- the "Motor City Madman" who said repeatedly he was thinking of running, then decided against it -- was chosen by 8 percent.
The two Republicans actually challenging DeVos in the primary, state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk of Kalamazoo and state Sen. Nancy Cassis of Novi, each got 4 percent of the vote. Six percent chose Domino's Pizza executive David Brandon, who has no plans to run for governor. Six percent were undecided.
Name recognition also played a role in the Republican U.S. Senate race, with current Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land getting 37 percent of the vote if the primary were held today, versus 12 percent for Brandon, who said last week that he would not run for the chance to take on Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow.
Land has not ruled out a run for the Senate. The two men actually in the race -- the Rev. Keith Butler of Troy and Cutlerville resident Jerry Zandstra, who has taken a leave from positions as a minister and Grand Rapids think tank program director -- got 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively, once voters were given a description of candidates in the race.
Five percent chose Troy industrial engineer Bart Baron, who dropped out of the race this week, while Nassar Beydoun, president of a Livonia-based construction management company, was chosen by 1 percent. Thirteen percent were undecided.
In matchups between Stabenow and possible GOP opponents, Stabenow led Land, 56 percent to 36 percent, with 8 percent undecided. The Lansing Democrat had a 62 percent to 31 percent lead over Butler, with 7 percent undecided. She also led Zandstra 63 percent to 28 percent, with 9 percent undecided.
Forty percent of those polled said they planned to vote to re-elect Stabenow, while 29 percent said they'd consider someone else and 19 percent said they'd vote to replace her. Twelve percent were undecided.
Voters were less positive about whether they'd choose Granholm. Thirty-three percent said they planned to vote for her again in 2006, while 31 percent said they'd consider someone else and 23 percent said they'd vote to replace her. Thirteen percent were undecided.
"Ted Nugent -- the "Motor City Madman" who said repeatedly he was thinking of running, then decided against it -- was chosen by 8 percent."
Not too shabby for a man who doesn't even live here any more.
Being that I live in a state with the highest corporate income tax in the nation, yet STILL has an unemployment rate below the national average, its pathetic that Michigan still remains in the economic doldrums. Get this Canuck out of office now!
What was that "hurricane" the dems were talking about?
Lets see.. we are competitive in MI, Winning in VA, May unseat Nelson in FLA. A few straw poles show Hillary showing vulnerability.
Hmm. Maybe there is a hurricane coming, but it might not be when they expect. ;)
Sadly I don't think Miller or anyone else can bring us back to our former industrial powerhouse status. I think Miller would be a good start at trying to make things better. Granholm has made things worse but the slide has been going on for a long time.
As long as it's cheaper to do work elsewhere, work will be done elsewhere.
"Smokestack America" has gone the way of agricultural America. It makes no sense to pretend that the days when you needed 500 guys on assembly line will ever come back. Industrial employment has declined WORLDWIDE (including China!) and will never recover to the level it was at due to automation more than anything else. Being nostalgic for a time when the labor force was dominated by lunch pailers working at belching factories like River Rouge isn't very productive. Michigan needs to diversify its economy much in the way Washington State has.
It should be a landslide for the GOP. If it's not, then the people of Michigan deserve what they get.
Remember that the Dems were touting Granholm for President just a year ago, and suggesting that the Constitution should even be changed to let her run.
Can anyone say "clueless?"
There are probably enough muzlims in Detroit alone to elect a Democrat governor. Terrorists and their allies know that Democrats are soft on terrorism.
With Kwame's impending removal from mayor of detroit, Miller does stand a good chance.
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