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Mich. Voters Focus on Economy (Washington Post)
Washington Post ^ | Sept 12, 2006 | Peter Slevin

Posted on 09/11/2006 10:25:08 PM PDT by jdm

PONTIAC, Mich. -- Mike Bouchard was eager to make the sale as he bantered with Tracey Allen at a Labor Day street fair. Pitching his Republican candidacy for the U.S. Senate, the Oakland County sheriff heard her say she favored Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow.

SNIP

In Michigan, the November election is likely to come down to whom the voters blame for one of the nation's most troubled economies. With unemployment higher than the national average and many residents frustrated with Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, Republicans see a chance for a swing-state victory.

SNIP

The GOP draws hope from polls showing that two in three voters are dissatisfied with Michigan's direction. The jobless rate rose to 7 percent in July, compared with 4.8 percent nationwide. Given deepening troubles in the auto industry, economists expect the number to remain high even with seasonal hiring.

SNIP

"Only three states have lost jobs in the last four years," as one Republican ad puts it. "Two of them -- Louisiana and Mississippi -- were devastated by hurricanes. The third is Michigan."

SNIP

"There's a lot of jobs leaving the state," said Osborne, 59, as he stood at the corner of South Main and Pleasant. "Since Governor Granholm and Senator Stabenow have been in office, it's gone down the tubes."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: business; cafta; detroit; economy; employment; freetrade; michigan; nafta; northamericanunion
Would be nice to see MI move to the right a bit. Seems entirely possible; looking good going into November, IMO.
1 posted on 09/11/2006 10:25:08 PM PDT by jdm
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To: jdm

MI still has an economy????
;)


2 posted on 09/11/2006 10:34:13 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr

LOL!


3 posted on 09/11/2006 10:41:42 PM PDT by jdm (I gotta give the Helen Thomas obsession a rest.)
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To: jdm
the nation's most troubled economies.

can be laid a the door of "free trade".
4 posted on 09/11/2006 10:47:16 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: jdm

As people leave the state in droves, one can only hope that union people are the ones leaving....now if we can eliminate welfare, and force those leeches to leave, the state will turn right. Until then, it is a crap shoot...


6 posted on 09/12/2006 4:27:31 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Israel, taking out the world's trash since 1948.)
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To: hedgetrimmer

No........Free Trade UNIONS.............there, fixed


7 posted on 09/12/2006 4:27:59 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Israel, taking out the world's trash since 1948.)
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To: jdm

The way to win this election is to run ads in Detroit and Lansing that the Marxist Granholm plans to go after cigarette smokers - again - for buying their smokes on Indian reservations. Even Doyle, Wisconsin's left wing governor, was not stupid enough to do that.

Stabenow will self destruct when she opens her mouth.


8 posted on 09/12/2006 5:15:13 AM PDT by sergeantdave (Consider that nearly half the people you pass on the street meet Lenin's definition of useful idiot)
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To: hedgetrimmer

If they can't compete, they don't deserve to be subsidized by the rest of us.

Michigan needs to dump the leaders (and their policies) that created the socialist cesspool known as Detroit. When that happens, things will get better.


9 posted on 09/12/2006 5:19:55 AM PDT by Terabitten
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To: jdm

I left 18 months ago. Grew up there, but the state is going downhill, and I don't know what will ever stop it. The only ones who will stay will be the ones already on welfare.....


10 posted on 09/12/2006 5:51:53 AM PDT by machman
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To: jdm
Granholm at first was trying the "I inherited a bad economy from Engler" line. Now she's pulling the "It's Bush's fault" card. The GOP needs to really pound home to Michigan voters that every other state has robust economies and really emphasize that the elected dem officials (Granholm, Stabenow and Levin) are really taking us down the tubes.

Dick DeVos is running a pretty good campaign for Governor..the national GOP should take note.

11 posted on 09/12/2006 5:55:54 AM PDT by DouglasKC
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To: jdm

I, for one, would be glad to have a new governor. I'm graduating this coming spring with a degree in engineering, but the jobs I'd be looking for are few and far between in this area. We need to get a governor that will do more then blame Bush for the state's woes and promise new jobs in five years.

MGY


12 posted on 09/12/2006 7:22:48 AM PDT by TitanicMan2003 (This just in... Yasser Arafat, despite the rumors, is still dead.)
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To: machman

Can you get my hubby a job?
We are drowning here in MI.


13 posted on 09/12/2006 7:33:27 AM PDT by netmilsmom (To attack one section of Christianity in this day and age, is to waste time.)
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To: Terabitten
If they can't compete,

You mean, if they can't compete with slave labor. Why would you want your fellow Americans to have to do that? Why do you support the loss of self governance that "free trade" imposes on Americans?
14 posted on 09/12/2006 8:28:36 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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To: DouglasKC
Dick DeVos is running a pretty good campaign for Governor..the national GOP should take note.

And conservatives should take note at how his criminal enterprise has perverted God's Word and ruined families.

15 posted on 09/12/2006 10:44:16 AM PDT by jmc813 (.)(.)
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To: DouglasKC
Dick DeVos is running a pretty good campaign for Governor..the national GOP should take note.

Uh, he's down in the polls. Against a pretty unpopular incumbent.

16 posted on 09/12/2006 10:47:29 AM PDT by ItsJeff
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