In Michigan, It’s GOP’s Rick Snyder 51, Democrat Virg Bernero 29

National Review ^ | 8-26-2010 | Jim Geraghty

[Frantzie]

Did you ever think you would see Republicans winning Michigan by a rout?

Republican Rick Snyder holds a dominating 22 percentage point lead over Democrat Virg Bernero in the Nov. 2 election for governor, according to a new poll.

Snyder leads Bernero, 51%-29%, with 20% undecided, according to the poll by EPIC/MRA released exclusively to the Detroit Free Press and WXYZ-Channel 7.

Snyder’s appeal is especially strong among independent voters, who favor him 50%-15% — with 35% undecided.

There are several GOP House challengers who will appreciate the top-of-the-ticket help.

[SunkenCiv]

Snyder's appeal is especially strong among independent voters, who favor him 50%-15% -- with 35% undecided.

Which means, half the indies didn't want to vote for any more Demwits, but ordinarily wouldn't vote for a Republican -- with 35% of respondents not really independents anyway, or here and there thinking about voting third-party. Thanks Frantzie.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s very unusual for union members to cross party lines (not unheard of, but in most of those cases it’s members who are conservative); the independents, or rather, those tired of the whole “hold your nose to vote” candidates on the Demwit side have broken down whatever hold the straight-ticket mentality had on non-union members.

My favorite gubenatorial election was when Gov John Engler ran the second time; he was unopposed, so people had a grand time crossing over to vote for Fiegler. The union voters were rubber-stamping some doctrinaire hardliner who was at least a professional politician, I forget the name. But I remember how the union nimrods (I was surrounded and almost out of ammo) sighed, and then made lockstep for the Fiegler campaign.

He got his ass handed to him. It was embarrassing. And yet, this year he was being asked are-ya-or-aren’t-ya? Fiegler and Mike Cox are arch-enemies, so there were those (mostly in the press) who just wanted to see that matchup. Cox got knocked out of the primary.

[Springman]

Don’t know if I can vote for Ricky or not. Might go Libertarian.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, if Snyder is the second coming of Milliken or George *, he’ll be less than useless.

[nascarnation]

Why not vote for the Dem?

4 more years might be enough to implode the state - and with Republicans in control of the US House there won’t be any bailouts.

Maybe then we can donate Mich. to Canada.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You’re recalling Engler’s third run in 1998. Geoffrey Fieger’s opponents in the Dem primary were Larry Owen and Doug Ross. Owen was supposed to be the front-runner until Fieger caught fire. Of course, Fieger led a near-total collapse of the party ticket and only carried Wayne County in the general (and that by just 57-43%). Of course, Howard Wolpe in ‘94 scarcely did much better, and only got two counties, Wayne and Genesee (Flint).

[Clintonfatigued]

Here’s another noteworthy poll from Michigan.

[taildragger]

Snyder has little choice but to move right.,

And given the likes of the conservatives that one their primary berth in my district if that is any indication things are looking up, follow me on this.

I spoke with one of them, yes, it looks like a lot of converatives one their berths and will go into the general election.

IMHO if they win Snyder will get a very conservative house and senate. This is just a hunch on my part. So we are in agreement, he will have no choice as they help him make the hard choices from keeping the state from going chapter 11. My CPA wonk tells me the news at the latest CPA confab with a comp-controller type was dire. The state is in serious financial trouble next year.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

[Lakeshark]

Does anyone know what kind of R his running mate is?

Conservative? Squishy like Rick?

[70th Division]

And Verg just picked a black female mayor from Southfield as his running mate. A smart political move that will go no where. Verg has no name recognition. And when he opens his mouth he turns people off.

[magslinger]

So we end up with a purple governor, better than than Marxist Moleface, pure socialist.

I am imagining that said in Tim Allen's voice like the pure Michigan ads. Was that your intent?

[justiceseeker93]

Did you ever think you would be seeing Republicans winning Michigan by a rout?

Michigan had traditionally been considered a swing state, at least through most of the 20th century, kind of a microcosm of the nation as a whole. It had about half of its population in Detroit and suburbs, the other half in small cities, towns, and rural. It had heavy industry and agriculture. And it had strong corporations and strong unions.

The problem for Republicans in the last decade and more has been demographic: whites moving out with the tanking economy, immigrants moving in.

But with the economy so horrendous under 'Rat rule, the Pubbies have a golden opportunity now.

[Beagle8U]

I only count one republican in that list, St John Engler.

The rest were liberal RINOs.

[Beagle8U]

Grandmole needs to keep her promise and blow me before she leaves office.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

What, you haven't been "Blown Away?"

Blown Away, 4 Years Later

(*smile*)

How about Jenny just leave office? That would work for me...

[Darren McCarty]

From what I've heard, Calley is a social conservative and fiscal squish, which is frankly like most republican politicians in this state.

[Darren McCarty]

Milliken was the worst governor in my lifetime, including the boy governor Blanchard and the Canadian trash.

[Darren McCarty]

Rick Snyder has two things going for him right now. Virg Bernero won his primary. Many of the conservatives will vote for Snyder because they are scared of Bernero. The other is that a lot of people who don't follow politics like how he's running as "apolitical."

I think things are going to tighten up when Bernero goes after Snyder and tries to paint him as a jobs killer.