Devos all the way

Heres the thing:

You want to smoke weed,
I want a job.
Our current governer hasnt done much to help the job market.
Times up bitch.

Who doesnt wanna govenor named Dick? Go Dick!

I can't stand Dick's commercial. that last line drives me nuts no one talks like that.

Devos all the way

Heres the thing:

You want to smoke weed,
I want a job.
Our current governer hasnt done much to help the job market.
Times up bitch.

Hope you enjoy pyramid scheme's where you sell detergent to your friends.

What a great job.

Learn more about Devos, the beady-eyed, bible-thumping con man.

http://www.whatyoudontknowaboutdick.com/

I split these off from RHL's thread because they really don't have much to do with most of his post, except the last shot he took at DeVos.

We'll need a thread for this later anyways.

Nevermind, I forgot, I said i'm not talking politics here. You guys are too fucking liberal

It says a lot about what a poor job Granholm has done as Governor if Michigan, a state which both John Kerry and Al Gore carried, is willing to elect DeVos. If she was doing even a halfway credible job of leading the State, DeVos would stand no chance whatsoever. Instead, he has been leading in the polls for weeks. Right now the election is shaping up as a referendum on her term in office, and she is losing.

We are given some great options:

Retarded vs. Insane
Shipping Jobs away vs. shipping jobs away
unable to accomplish anything vs. Able to accomplish a lot, in a pyramid scheme


Pretty much, we're either fucked, or going with a 3rd party.

Personally I'm going Granholm, she'll prevent anything from actually happening, DeVos scares the fuck out of me, because he could have just as bad ideas, but get them passed.

Giff, I don't think the Dems or the Granholm campaign have even begun to fight yet.

I fully expect those poll results to be turned around once that happens.

They'll tie DeVos to his pyramid schemes, the shipping of jobs overseas (while at the same time saying "we can't keep our talented young people in-state"), and connect him with his Bush support/contributions and they should be quite successfull, IMO. There's plenty of ammunition to choose from.

On a side note, I tailgated with Granholm at a UM football game about 3 years before she won the Governorship, and she's hella cool.

Giff, I don't think the Dems or the Granholm campaign have even begun to fight yet.

I fully expect those poll results to be turned around once that happens.

They'll tie DeVos to his pyramid schemes, the shipping of jobs overseas (while at the same time saying "we can't keep our talented young people in-state"), and connect him with his Bush support/contributions and they should be quite successfull, IMO. There's plenty of ammunition to choose from.

On a side note, I tailgated with Granholm at a UM football game about 3 years before she won the Governorship, and she's hella cool.

I bet she is on your MILF list, isn't she?

I think she will end up winning. But her approval ratings are pretty dismal. And for an incumbent to be actually trailing in the polls in July is a rarity. It's too bad that she probably can't win without making DeVos the issue, and driving up his negatives, instead of simply being able to point to her accomplishments as Governor. Again, it shouldn't even be a race, but it is.

I think it's unfair to blame the woes of Michigan's economy on Jenny like people do. Certainly she deserves some of the critism, but come on. What is she supposed to do when the bulk of our economy is going down the tubes (auto industry) because the companies suck at keeping up with foreign auto makers? Not to mention the chaos that has gone on in Detroit with people stealing money from the city and everything else.

I'm not about to absolve Jenny for the way our economy is, but i get so sick of people simplifying things and blaming the economy on her. Like it wasn't terrible before she got here. While you're at it, you might as well praise the current Arizona governor for getting so many people to move there (like that hasn't been a trend for many years).

actually our economy was going down the tube no matter who was in charge. if you dont believe that, you're kidding yourself really hard. I think granholm made a solid effort to try and slow it. But its not that easy. Either way i think she deserves a shot at a second term to see if her budget cuts(the ones she can actually get pass the repub lawmakers not feeling her) pan out. But she said from the jump we needed to make alot of budget cuts to get things in order. most of her rivals disputed that it needed to be done and shot down a couple of her cuts. I think its ironic that they now blame her.

It would have also been nice if Engler didn't use one time incomes to boost his spending that we'd have to pay for later. He really helped put her behind the 8 ball for sure.

It would have also been nice if Engler didn't use one time incomes to boost his spending that we'd have to pay for later. He really helped put her behind the 8 ball for sure.
yea i read about him doing a few fucked up things on his way out. very shitty on his part. if you're gonna screw over the state to get back at the other party, then hopefully you can rot in a jagged blade edge dildo ramming torture chamber in hell for eternity.

Dick DeVos can go choke.

It's going to take a hell of a lot to convince me that an Amway man should have anything to do with this state. Go back to Florida, con man.

I think Granholm is an ineffective weeny, but I'd rather have her back in office than DeVos. It would be nice to have better candidates running than a failure and a cult leader.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5201541


Poll: Granholm regains lead

Updated: July 27, 2006, 01:54 PM EDT

By JOE LaFURGEY

GRAND RAPIDS - A new poll released today shows Governor Jennifer Granholm has regained the lead over her presumed Republican challenger Dick Devos.

An EPIC-MRA poll, exclusive to 24 Hour News 8 in West Michigan, quizzed 600 voters this week.

They give Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm a three-point lead over her presumed Republican opponent Dick Devos, 47% - 44%, with 9% undecided and a margin of error of 4%.

A poll taken just last month had DeVos up 46 - 44 percent over Granholm.

What's interesting is the potential impact Alticor, the direct marketing business Dick DeVos once headed, may have on these and future numbers.

The new poll asked voters what they think of Alticor, and by a margin of 41 - 17, they had a negative view of the company. Additionally, 21 % of the respondents listed Alticor as a reason not to vote for DeVos. But 62 % say Alticor will not influence their decision.

EPIC-MRA's Ed Sarpolus said a negative attitude towards direct marketing businesses, and a general backlash against big business are among the most likely reasons for the unfavorable attitude towards the Alticor name.

The poll also gives a boost to the governor once biographical information is included.

Sarpolus tells 24 Hour News 8 the poll indicates a couple of things, namely that DeVos is going to have to start telling voters more about his past, especially when it comes to Alticor.

It also indicates Granholm has had a good last couple of weeks, with Google's announcement that they'll build in Ann Arbor, and the apparent success of Democratic Party sponsored ads that continue to appear after months of DeVos dominating the airwaves.

In statements released by each campaign, both camps discounted the latest findings.

"We know these polls are meaningless, unless you're a member of the media," said DeVos campaign spokesperson Greg McNeely. "But anyway...we understand the challenges that come with bringing change to Michigan. It's tough."

Chris DeWitt from Granholm's campaign said, "The poll shows that voters are paying more attention to Governor Granholm's ecomnomic plan and her personal efforts to bring more manufacturing and hi-tech jobs to Michigan. The poll also exlpains why DeVos is increasing his negative attacks on the Governor."

The poll showed 90% of those interviewed are "very certain to vote" in November's general election. Only 28% of the respondents said they believe Michigan is headed in the right direction, while 58% said we're on the wrong track.

Improving the economy and creating jobs was far and away the top issue for voters, overwhelming making health care affordable by a margin of 46-16.

George W. Bush did not fare well in the favorability question, with 53% having an unfavorable view of the president. Granholm and DeVos did better, with Granholm holding a 52-40 edge in favorability.

When asked to describe themselves, 42% of the respondents said they were Democrats, 40% said they were Republicans.

But as we always remind you, these numbers are truly a snapshot in time.

The poll that matters the most comes November 7th, election day.

If you like mudslinging, this is going to be an awesome campaign this fall.

Have your sound on.

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Media/Flash/2006-08-28/DeVos_Flash_Three.htm

Granny deserves nothing... she didn't provide incentives to diversify industries.... The overdependence on the autos should have been addressed early on.

The time for the state to invest in diversification efforts was during the late '90s under Engler, when the overall economic windfall throughout the country (including that huge tobacco settlement) was finally catching up to Michigan. Engler mostly did the tax cut dance like a good Republican, but he targetted large entrenched interests (e.g. insurance, telcos, etc.) with relatively little going to diversification efforts like the bioscience corridor or incubating smalll businesses. When the boom of the '90s ended, those tax cuts to big business became unsustainable. In an effort to further his poltiical aspirations, Engler tried to rob Peter to pay Paul, which didn't plug the hole and only succeeded in scaring away attracting new business. Ultimately, Engler handed Granholm a bigger deficit than he ever had.

To be fair here, this is as much the fault of the Democrats as anything. If they had a real candidate instead of Fieger in 1998, things may have turned out differently.

So now we have DeVos preaching much the same shit, as if it was so great for Michigan for the 12 years under Engler?! I suppose the beauty of term limits is that it allows people to reinvent the same mistakes. <sigh>

I wish we still had Milliken as governor.

Get your Dick DeVos merchandise here.

Who wouldn't want a DeVos visor or a copy of Dick's book "Rediscovering American Values - The Foundations of our Freedom for the 21st Century."? No true American that I know of, that's for sure.

https://www.rapiddonor.com/DeVos/Store.aspx

WHO IS DICK DEVOS?

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/POLITICS/606230320/1374/POLITICS01

A good read, too long to paste. Article is from June.

Anyone seen the "I am Amway" ads?

aoOnnLZEpvQ

Scary...

What a coincidence. DeVos slips below Granholm in voter surveys, in part due to being an Amway guy, and now we get these dandy Amway ads all over TV. No connection, I'm sure.

^it has to be a coincidence because there isn't a disclaimer on them at the end that informs the viewer who paid for the ads, right?

I can't really tell if that's sarcastic or not Glenn, if it is then ignore the statements below.

The commercials stay clear of adressing the political race, issues, and candidates directly (aside from saying "jobs jobs jobs Michigan jobs Michigan jobs jobs jobs Michigan") so I'd think it would be hard to regulate it as a political ad (even though anyone with a clue about the race knows why its been made and what its doing). After all, Amway has a right to promote itself even if this might be the first commercial its made "for itself" in years. Thus no responsibility stamping at the end.

P.S. I'm surprised it didn't have one of the people call out the name of a member of the Tigers.

Yeah, it was sarcastic, too lazy for the green text.

If you like these, there are more on YouTube.

pGWgXnA-4Jo

0yMjHgVUm_k

onXAfPx36l8

M0RikZ5AeeY

LOL@DeVos. The election is over. Done. Stick a fork in it.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060921/POLITICS01/609210382


Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos says he supports giving local school districts the option of teaching the theory of intelligent design in science classes as an alternative to evolution.

He couldn't have painted himself any more the fool if he put on a red nose and big floppy shoes.

This makes me want to fight him.

as much as i want to learn about politics in the state, those damn TV ads are nauseating and make me want to stay as far away as possible. i hate listening to the mudslinging.


"Dick Devos. Did you know he kicked little puppies when he was 5 yrs old? He doesn't want you to know.

Vote Granholm and let's put an end to puppy kicking."

"Jennifer Granholm has a penis. She frequents transexual bars at night.

This message has been paid for by the Dick Devos committee."

Granholm just won Herm's vote with that last one.

as much as i want to learn about politics in the state, those damn TV ads are nauseating and make me want to stay as far away as possible. i hate listening to the mudslinging.

Couldn't agree more. Whether I support the candidate or not I generally hate campaign ads. The postive ones always seem insincere and the negative ones just sleazy.

Unfortunately, negative ads work.
People don't want to hear good news.

I'm waiting for the debates in a couple weeks.
Should be interesting...

Debate schedule set.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5459950


Granholm, DeVos to debate at WOOD TV8

Updated: Sep 27, 2006 11:52 AM EDT

GRAND RAPIDS - WOOD TV8 will host one of three televised gubernatorial debates between Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos.

The two camps have agreed to debate in Grand Rapids and in two other Michigan cities within the next few weeks. They've also agreed on a joint appearance between the second and third debates.

WOOD TV8 will host the second debate at 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 10, and be available to all NBC stations in Michigan. WOOD TV8 anchor Suzanne Geha will moderate the debate, which will include panelists from WOOD TV8, Detroit's NBC affiliate WDIV, and the Detroit Free Press.

The first debate is set for Monday, October 2. The 8 p.m. debate, moderated by Tim Skubick, will be held at WKAR in East Lansing and be available to all Michigan Public TV stations and all Fox stations.

On Thursday, October 12, Granholm and DeVos will make a joint appearance and deliver remarks at a luncheon sponsored by Detroit's Economic Club and the Michigan Chronicle.

The third and final debate will be Monday, October 16 from the studios of WXYZ in Detroit. Chuck Stokes will be the debate moderator, which will be available to all CBS and ABC affiliates in the state.

Each candidate issued statements, both saying they looked forward to the debates.

Granholm said, "I look forward to discussing my record of job creation in Michigan and my opponent's real record on jobs and the economy. I have the most detailed, aggressive economic plan in the nation, and I am going anywhere and doing anything to bring create jobs today and jobs tomorrow. The debates will help Michigan voters see that they have a clear choice between two very different candidates in this election."

DeVos sounded a similar theme. "I look forward to these debates over the next couple of weeks. The Governor is a very gifted communicator and if the past is any guide, will do very well. I will stress my plan for turning Michigan around in these debates. Michigan has the worst unemployment rate in the country - and I'm not satisfied with that. I look foward to this public discussion of the issues."

First debate is tonight.

Be there.

I got class.

granny doesnt seem likes shes doing too hot.

may god have mercy on all michiganders' souls if devos somehow gets elected.

glad i'm leaving the state.

I was watching in a context in which I couldn't actually hear it a lot of the time for a variety of reasons.

DeVos lost the debate on body language alone.

The stuff I did hear toward the end mostly seemed like Granholm was scoring big-time, except for DeVos' closing speech which was the best he talked the whole night that I could hear.

If Granholm can't defeat DeVos, she deserves to lose.

DeVos came off very robotic, IMO, like all of his answers were programmed into his memory.

Granholm may have come off as "too smart".

I remember thinking some of the same things after the first Bush/Gore debate.

And we know how that turned out.

My class got out early (Yom Kippur) and I actually got to hear most of it in the car ride home (I missed some of the middle getting dinner and was home before the closing speeches so I didn't hear those either).

From what I heard Devos did his best not to accuse Granholm of anything, not to make actual assertions (calling things "dissapointing" rather than "lies") and came off rather meek. He also threw out lines that were word for word, tone for tone, from his commercials. Granholm did her best to say CEO of Amway at the begining of every sentence, stumbled around when asked "Then why would things work differently this time?", and seemed the one better prepared for the debate (or at least the one more practiced at debates).

A couple things about the debate in general. Whoever was moderating did a good job, IMO, and maybe went a bit overboard as once or twice I thought the candidates were actually giving legit answers and he interrupted them to get straight yes or no's. Hate that the first question out of the gate was "Do you think your opponent is lying in their ads?"

Here's the complete debate:

http://red-cedar.wkar.msu.edu:8080/ramgen/Archive/misc/061002_debateforgov.rm?start=00:48

Here's independent poll results of how Michigan people think they both did in the debate:

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=62490

And here's the Disembodied Head of Dick DeVos:

http://devos.wordpress.com/

Granholm pretty much pwned him. Devos is a moron. He didnt answer 99 percent of the questions the mods threw at him. Its like sound goes through shards of broken glass and water and becomes all distorted and he doesnt know what to make of it so he just smiles and tries to look like a peoples man. Michigan doesnt need a boss running the state. Boss's arent the ones who care about getting the little man a job. There not going to understand the frusturation of not having a job and being on welfare with 4 kids.

BTW, anthony, fuck off with your "you wanna smoke pot, i want a job" bullshit.

Here's the complete debate:

http://red-cedar.wkar.msu.edu:8080/ramgen/Archive/misc/061002_debateforgov.rm?start=00:48

Here's independent poll results of how Michigan people think they both did in the debate:

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=62490

And here's the Disembodied Head of Dick DeVos:

http://devos.wordpress.com/

Mxy,

I find your links to be, well, disappointing.

Don't you think the people deserve better?

I also find the fact that I can't get "Secret Amway Man" out of my head now, well, disappointing.

He's a bad man.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/sports-19/115997906153540.xml&storylist=newsmichigan


Muhammad Ali endorses Granholm in Michigan governor's race

10/4/2006, 12:45 p.m. ET

By DAVID N. GOODMAN
The Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Boxing legend Muhammad Ali endorsed Gov. Jennifer Granholm for re-election on Wednesday, citing her efforts to overturn Michigan's ban on embryonic stem cell research.

Ali has Parkinson's disease, a condition that stem cell research advocates say might be treated or cured through the technique.

"She wants talented researchers and businesses around the world — who are working on cures for devastating and gut-wrenching diseases right now — to relocate here ... but she's been hindered in her efforts to attract them because our laws are too restrictive," Ali and his wife, Lonnie, said in a statement released by the Granholm campaign.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos has said he is against embryonic stem cell research, which opponents say destroys human life. DeVos said he supports research using adult stem cells.

Ali and Granholm were to have appeared together at a morning rally at a Detroit union hall, but his plane was grounded by stormy weather near his southwestern Michigan home.

But in a phone conversation with the Democratic governor carried live at the rally, Lonnie Ali said: "We believe in the governor and the agenda that she has for the state."

In her state of the state address in January, Granholm called on the Republican-led Legislature to allow embryonic stem cell research, and she has spoken repeatedly on the issue, particularly during her campaign against DeVos, an Amway heir from Grand Rapids.

DeVos spokesman John Truscott said Granholm has been "basically silent" when it comes to promoting the permitted forms of stem cell research.

"She hasn't taken a leadership role in moving forward research that's allowed by our laws ... whether it be policies or programs that move forward adult stem cell research," he said.

A Michigan Catholic Conference spokesman criticized efforts to legalize embryonic stem cell research, saying that would lead to "the cloning and the killing of human life."

"The fact that it's become such a political issue is sad," said conference Vice President Paul Long. There are about 2.25 million Roman Catholics among Michigan's 10 million residents.

Most of the recent polls have Granny anywhere from a 7-8% ahead.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/governor/mi/michigan_governor_race-13.html

This guy just looks like some kind of a shyster:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/images/13-1.jpg

Most of the recent polls have Granny anywhere from a 7-8% ahead.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2006/governor/mi/michigan_governor_race-13.html


thank god

http://devos.wordpress.com/2006/10/08/dick-devos-beats-the-yankees/

I hate Devos' rat eyes

^Good call on the rat eyes.

Next debate is Tuesday at 8pm.

Tigers, Pistons & Granholm/DeVos, simultaneously.

Here's a picture of DeVos from a few years back:
http://www.gifmania.be/Star-Trek/ferengi/uark.gif

For those who missed Granholm vs. DeVos II, the replay is at:

http://woodtv.triton.net:8080/ramgen/Archive/debate.rm

Executive summary: DeVos was louder and feistier but just as disjointed. Hell, perhaps it was even more disjointed inasmuch as he had more things he wanted to say, but couldn't complete most of his thoughts and contradicted past statements when given enough rope to hang himself. Granholm pleaded too much, but it seemed clear she talked more about the economic specifics than DeVos, and came across much better.

i thought granholm absolutely destroyed him last night. which is why i was so pissed off when i read the readers thoughts in the freepress today. honestly, how could you possibly walk away saying devos won, or even did ok, yesterday. either people are so biased they have become detatched from reality, or they are simply lieing.

the best part: devos had been attacking granholm for lack of specifics all night (though she had given about 100x more specifics than devos), but then she turned the table and asked him how he planned on replacing the 1 billion dollars in small business taxes he planned on eliminating. devos didnt even attempt to give an answer (because he didnt have one) and used the time to spew the same mindless drivell he had been speaking all night.

im glad detroit still runs michigan, its scary the bafoons people will support just to get a few tax dollars back.

actually, the best part was when devos said he had told bush to sit down with the big 3, and that now there is a meeting scheduled.

then granholm said that wasnt true, unless devos was referring to some indeterminable time after elections that bush probably tells everyone.

then devos said, the meeting is scheduled tentatively after elections, so that bush doesnt get in the way.

lol, devos got had. all that money and so dumb. im surprised he hasnt blown it all on magic beans yet. he actually makes bush look intelligent.

DeVos and Bush are so petty that they're putting politics ahead of Michigan jobs by delaying the meeting with the Big Three execs.

That's the game-winning ad.

BTW, the full transcript of the debate is available at:

http://www.granholmforgov.com/site/PageNavigator/truthsquad


Yes, the Governor needs to remember that the Governor’s not the Governor…the Governor is the Governor and not the Judiciary

though, it doesn't capture the essence of how he comes across in public speaking:

http://christinebarry.com/2006/10/12/debate-2-transcript/

Here's a pointer to videos of Granholm vs. DeVos 2.5, the presentations at the Detroit Economic Club:

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=63095&provider=top

The audience applause was louder and more frequent for Granholm than DeVos. The end applause, which wasn't taped above, was significantly louder for Granholm. But DeVos didn't have to think on his feet and lucked out by speaking last, so he actually gave a much better speech than what anyone's seen in the debates.

The clear winner, though, wasn't caught on tape. L. Brooks Patterson, the Executive for Oakland County, is a Milliken Republican who refers to radical neo-con west-siders as the "Taliban wing of the Republican party". He just started out the day bashing DeVos:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/NEWS06/610120393

Patterson said Wednesday he supports DeVos' effort to cut taxes, but said the personal property tax could not be eliminated.

"There are some communities where it makes up 40% to 50% of their budget," he said.
He was tapped to introduce DeVos to the D.E.C. (probably because they couldn't find anyone else). So, he introduced DeVos as follows:


What can you say about Dick that hasn't already been said about Ken Lay??? j/k
Ken Lay?!? Even with a "just kidding" tacked at the end, that's a fucking image and a half to bring up! So at the very beginning, you see DeVos suck up to Brooks after he basically unzipped his fly and pissed on DeVos.

Heh heh heh...

For people who think I bash DeVos too much (or maybe don't bash him enough), here's a tissue for you. It was made by Amway in China and exported to the U.S.:

http://www.michigandems.com/101106prs.html

http://www.michigandems.com/Tissue1-sm.jpg
http://www.michigandems.com/Tissue2-sm.jpg

^awesome pic

That needs to be on a TV commercial

This is from a Democratic Website mind you, but still interesting regardless of your party. I will try and find a Republican viewpoint (not sure why, but I will) on the debate too:


Granholm vs. Devos: Truth Squad Fact Checking Of 2nd Debate Hot off the Truth Squad press, here's the latest debunking of Dick Devos' lies, lies, and more lies.

DeVos' Debate Distortions: Correcting the Record

"I believe in public education. The people will not see a stronger advocate for public education than me." But Dick DeVos and his wife Betsy believe in taking public tax dollars for private education which drains money from public schools. Dick and Betsy founded All Children Matter, a national organization pushing for vouchers throughout the country. It has been widely reported that the pro-voucher group is lobbying for vouchers in Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, Wisconsin and Utah. There's a reason why the Grand Rapids Press called the couple "the face of the voucher movement." The Detroit News reported Betsy DeVos contributed $200,000 to All Children Matter just this past April. Dick and Betsy also led the unsuccessful 2000 campaign for school vouchers, spending some $10 million. And don't forget, on December 2, 2002, DeVos made his position clear while speaking to the Heritage Foundation: "But when the time comes, we will bring the fight back to Michigan again and do everything we can there."

DeVos said Governor Jennifer Granholm cut funding for public education. That couldn't be further from the truth. Under Governor Granholm's leadership, state funding for K-12 public education is at an all-time high of $7,085 per pupil. Dick DeVos wants you to believe the Governor isn't doing enough to educate our kids, but Governor Granholm is a champion of public education. She is revolutionizing early childhood education programs to get kids ready for school. She instituted tough new curriculum standards for our kids to give them the tools they need to get 21st Century jobs, and she's fighting to give every child in Michigan access to a $4,000 scholarship for college, a plan that DeVos' Republican friends in the Legislature are blocking. DeVos, on the other hand, financed a ballot initiative to create a risky school voucher scheme that would have drained money from public schools and vowed to revisit the issue later.

DeVos said that a meeting was already set up with the Big Three CEOs and President Bush. It's not true. The Associated Press reported on September 6, 2006, "A summit between President Bush and the heads of the Big Three automakers has been pushed back until after the November election, despite an expected visit to the state by Bush this week and increasing pressure from critics who say the White House is ignoring the needs of the struggling industry." DeVos was wrong. In fact, his party said: "The president is meeting with the Big Three after the election," Anderson said. "The president of the United States is not going to bow to political pressure from Gov. Granholm." (Sarah Anderson, Michigan Republican Party).

DeVos: "I went to Washington to fight for MI workers. There was no tax break." The truth is that major media outlets described it as a "tax break." From the Associated Press: "Three months after the DeVos' $ 1 million GOP donation, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $ 19 million tax break on its Asian branches, the magazine reported." (Associated Press, October 28, 1998)

DeVos said, "The best way to get health care is to get a job." But the truth is almost 900,000 people do not have health care because they do not have a job. Dick DeVos is simply ignoring the problems facing the working uninsured.

DeVos said he fought for Michigan jobs when lobbying for unfair trade with China. The fact is Governor Granholm did not cause Michigan's economic problems; Dick DeVos' support for unfair trade and outsourcing caused them. Dick DeVos' support for President Bush and unfair trade policies cause the pain our automakers, workers, and economy are feeling now, not Governor Granholm. Michigan lost over 240,000 jobs during the last 2 _ years under Engler, and we have gained 24,000 jobs under Governor Granholm. Michigan's economic problems are a result of slow national economic growth under Bush; and more importantly, the slump in the U.S. auto industry and the fact is that Michigan is far more dependent upon the auto industry than any other state, according to a recent report by the respected Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

Here is a funny TV commercial about DeVos and Bush being twins:

http://www.michigandems.com/twins.html

Thanks for posting the video Uncle Mxy. I am watching it now and it's amazing how DeVos has the same smirking/stuttering style that Bush has. Though I haven't heard him make up his own words yet.

For people who think I bash DeVos too much (or maybe don't bash him enough), here's a tissue for you. It was made by Amway in China and exported to the U.S.:

http://www.michigandems.com/101106prs.html




The free press had this quote about the sunject:


Michigan Democrats Wednesday accused DeVos of lying when he claimed that no products made by Amway/Alticor in China are shipped back to the United States.
At a Lansing news conference, party Chairman Mark Brewer displayed a package of tissues with the Amway logo and an inscription that indicated they were made in China.
Rob Zeiger, a spokesman for Amway's parent company Alticor, called the allegation laughable. The tissues appear to have been manufactured between 1989 and 1992, Zeiger said, before Amway/Alticor had a facility in China.
He said no Amway brand products have been sold in the United States since 2001, and that none of the company's products manufactured in China are sold in the United States.

devos is like george bush minus political connections. im glad to see granholm distancing herself in the election.

but with devos's money, you gotta think maybe the next generation of devoses has a good chance at the presidency, ala the kennedys. hopefully this is the last campaign for this devos.

devos is like george bush minus political connections. im glad to see granholm distancing herself in the election.

but with devos's money, you gotta think maybe the next generation of devoses has a good chance at the presidency, ala the kennedys. hopefully this is the last campaign for this devos.

God I hope not.

http://www.grmag.com/features/11-03/Rick_DeVos.jpg

The free press had this quote about the sunject:
I wondered about the (C) 1989 date in that picture, but I figured it was some sort of packaging copyright or somesuch.

But besides the tissue, there's other evidence on that site that suggests that they're importing China-made products.

http://rulings.customs.gov/detail.asp?ru=g86169


NY G86169
February 14, 2001
CLA-2-94:RR:NC:2:227 G86169
CATEGORY: Classification
TARIFF NO.: 9405.50.4000
Mr. Warren E. Coe Amway Corporation 7575 E. Fulton Road-Dept.55-1C Ada, Michigan 49355
RE: The tariff classification of a candleholder set from China.

Dear Mr. Coe
In your letter dated January 5, 2001, you requested a tariff classification ruling. The article in question, item number T847/GD5461, is described as a three section black wire candleholder that stands 12.5 inches high that holds 6 tealight candles. The candleholder and 6 tealight candles are packed together ready for sale at retail. The value of the holder is $2.20 and the value of the 6 candles, in total, is $0.80. The essential character of the set is imparted by the candleholder.

God I hope not.

http://www.grmag.com/features/11-03/Rick_DeVos.jpg

lol, i said that comment in ignorance. lets call it two generations instead.

More Amway stuff allegedly imported from China -- this from the supplier.

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11282545/Plastic_Cap.html

BTW, watch that 2nd debate and fast forward to 29 minutes in. DeVos' responce to the email question is priceless. I thought it was Bush for a moment when he smirked and said:

"That just simply isn't the case"

It's like he's Bush's understudy.

For Granholm vs. DeVos III:

DeVos showed he had a pair in the 3rd debate, and wore glasses (that caught the glare of the lights -- should've worn his contacts and popped the lenses) and held a pen in a vice (a la Bob Dole) to mask his podium jerkiness. He's improved a lot in terms of rattling off canned responses and Granholm flames. But, he lapsed into whiny little bitch mode and made up shit up as he went along when he has to think on his feet. He clearly went against the wishes of his party when he spoke of increasing revenue sharing to Detroit. The DeVos business plan seems to be "trust me, I'm a business man", promising damn near everything to everyone. One of his campaign people afterwards said it wasn't the his job to discuss specific legislation, but to "provide a vision".

Granholm came across a whole lot better. She had specifics, the same stuff she's been mentioning all along, no really new surprises in what she wants to do. She genuinely tried to connect with people. There were new digs versus DeVos that may get some play -- Bermuda, estate taxes for the very rich to fund police, ads involving dead children in foster care, etc. -- but nothing all that earthshattering. She doesn't have focused response for every last one of his talking points about how bad things are in Michigan but she's a whole lot better at actually answering a question. I think the only real questions about her are -- do you believe in her ability to execute, and does she have the right idea.

The debate format was a little screwy, to no one's benefit. It was a 2 minute response, 1 minute counter, 30 secound counter-counter format. This makes sense if most of the questions are primarily pertaining to one candidate or the other. But, with many of the questions by the studio audience, it would've made more sense to grant them equal time in answering the question. Often, they'd ask the question, then only at the end say who the question was for. The microphones were screwed up too, which didn't help any.

Transcript of the debate is at:
http://www.michiganliberal.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7036

Video is at:
http://web.wxyz.com/vote2006/debatevideo.html

The Disembodied Head Of Dick DeVos says:
http://devos.wordpress.com/2006/10/17/liveblogging-debate-3-dick-devos-vs-jennifer-granholm/

Even the newspapers that endorse DeVos still don't really know what the heck DeVos would do. Here's the endorsement from the Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061015/OPINION01/610150302/1008

DeVos would replace the two with a broader business tax, most likely on profits.
And even after the third debate:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/POLITICS01/610160428

DeVos said he would replace the SBT with a gross receipts tax or a corporate profit tax.
Uhhh... those are two different things, and not necessarily either/or options, and can have big impact on how companies choose to structure themselves and their businesses.

http://www.michiganliberal.com/upload/devil.jpg

Random stuff:

Dick DeVos's daughter, Elissa, features prominently in a new commerical:

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Set.aspx?ID=97&TypeID=1

I'd say she was hawt, but she looks and sounds like a bitchy prissy cousin of mine which deadens any appeal. Between this and some other commercials featuring women, it's clear he's trying to shore up the woman vote. The one commercial where a woman for DeVos blames Granholm for real estate prices going down would be effective for anyone who isn't aware that real estate bubbles are bursting nationwide and we hardly have the worst of it because our prices were never inflated as badly.

There's been a lot of "Granholm promised xyz" criticisms. Thanks to the magic of the web, you can check out Granholm's Michigan from 4 years ago.

http://web.archive.org/web/20021023000737/www.granholmforgov.com/docs/book.pdf

It's an 80 page document and I haven't read it all since 4 years ago. But, here's her overview of what the big points are and some commentary:


That is why I am presenting to you, the people of Michigan, my plan for the future of our great state. It is an ambitious plan that recognizes the fiscal realities before us and is responsive to the challenges all the people of Michigan face, at one time or another. For now, the budget situation may mean that we can only start implementing some of the changes we seek. But I am confident that once we deal with the budget crisis left by the Engler-Posthumus Administration, we will be able to move forward and build the better, fairer, more prosperous Michigan outlined in this blueprint.
Note that at the time, the assumption was that she'd have a deficit of a billion and change, but it turned out to be about $4 billion. This doesn't have a bulletpoint, but it was definitely the #0 goal.


Some of the key goals I propose are:

• Making education our number-one priority – by making sure that every child comes to school ready to learn, by setting high expectations for our students and giving them world-class schools in which to meet them, and by expanding access to quality after school programs.
Education took it in the ass initially to balance the budget, but has since been raised to its highest per-pupil funding ever. Those high standards have been implemented. Michigan is #1 per capita in students going to college, but on the down side, average tests are lower. Does that constitute failure?

Note this is the #1 listed goal, not "creation of jobs", even though there was -far- more job loss leading up to Granholm.


• Opening the doors to college to more of our young people through the Great Lakes Scholars Program, an innovative public-private partnership that will fund 4,500 scholarships for Michigan students by the end of my first term.
Note that the $4000 scholarship is pretty much in the bag. It has bi-partisan support and the only thing holding it up is the state Republican congress not wanting to give Granholm a victory prior to the election (and their being a bunch of incompetents in passing busted legislation):

http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/senator/sikkema/news/august2006/80906.pdf


• Lowering the cost of prescription drugs by leveraging the state’s buying power.
MiRX exists, is mentioned in the debates:
http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2939__2939__2939-100833--,00.html
It's not perfect, but the prescription drug problems are obviously all Granholm's fault. Disappointing.


• Expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare for working men and women.
Oh oh... the first promise she really hasn't kept! She's been working on it continuously, though:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/POLITICS/605120364

and we're getting down to #5 in the promises. Since she did nothing, and since it's not as good as a DeVos plan to make the rich get richer by turning Medicaid into a health savings account, we should fire the governor.


• Creating cutting-edge businesses and high-wage jobs by establishing the Michigan Technology Tri-Corridor in which universities, industries, non-profits, and workers are brought together to research, develop, and commercialize new advancements in the life sciences, automotive, and homeland security technologies.
This is the followup to Engler's "Life Sciences Corridor" and now known as the "21st Century Jobs Fund" with an expanded focus, which just got under way in its current form. What took so long? This was one of many piggy banks Engler tapped that, combined with reckless tax cuts, led to the deficit getting bigger than anyone thought. Of course, Granholm should've been able to clean that up instantaneously. We'll ignore the fact that job loss slowed under her tenure... that's totally irrelevant.


• Demanding corporate responsibility by ordering all state agencies to cease doing business with companies that break the law, tightening state laws against corporate crime, and leveraging Michigan’s power as an institutional investor to push for reform.
Nope, Granny didn't get that done. She tried and failed to get Republicans in the state legislature to commit to such things. The Republicans are doing so well on ethics. Obviously, Granholm didn't do enough to light a fire under their ass to move legislation. I'm sure with a DeVos administration we'll have the highest ethical standards.


• Making state government fiscally responsible by holding the line on the number of state government jobs, re-engineering government so it works better and costs less, and reducing administrative and overhead costs to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
State government "grew" from $39 to $41-42 billion -- about the rate of inflation over 4 years, so flat in terms of total dollars. A large chunk of this is money coming from Federal government which she has limited control over (eshe can't rob Medicaid to shore up other parts of the budget), which is why $4 billion deficits is so damning. We've won those "most e-friendly state in the nation" awards, and permits really do go much much faster -- that one I can personally attest.


• Fighting crime by using the latest technologies and focusing efforts to go after parole and probation violators who commit the most violent crimes.
That hasn't really happened, unless you count all those well-publicized cybercriminal snags. Looking at aggregate crime statistics from the FBI's UCI, which is best summed up here:

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/micrime.htm

It appears that though 1300 police were cut, and some flavors of crime went up (burglary, assault, DeVos has a laundry list), others went down (murder, vehicle theft, property damage) and the crime index suggests that 20% less crimes were reported. Obviously, this is unacceptable.


• Breaking the cycle of drugs and crime by demanding that those on parole and probation stay clean to stay free and expanding the use of drug treatment courts.
http://www.michbar.org/e-journal/public_policy/ppupdate072604.html


• Protecting the quality of our air and water – and our children’s health – by fighting drilling in the Great Lakes, banning new hazardous waste incinerators, and cracking down on polluters.
Drilling in Great Lakes is addressed:
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060210/METRO/602100336
There's the trash issue, which turns out to be more 'federal' than 'state' and which our federal reps are trying to do a little something about.


• Building One Michigan by ensuring that all of our people have an equal shot at their dreams and are welcomed into our inclusive community.
This was Granholm's infamous Cool Cities initiative, which the religious right interprets as "attracting gay people" and was all the rage to bitch about in conservative Michigan when Granny had a 77% approval rating in 2004.

i've noticed that Devos is featuring mudslinging tv ads with more women, particularly a few blonde ones.

i hate politics, but wow, good read, Uncle Mxy.

I think your political knowledge is a bit intimidating Mxy, so don't be "disappointed" if your posts aren't drawing a lot of responses.

I have a feeling that they are being read/enjoyed in any case.

Thanks.

I would be remiss if I didn't wish both Dick DeVos and Joey Harrington happy birthday (tomorrow).

Happy Birthday to two of my least favorite people.

I posted a more expansive version of this at:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/18/171028/49

While I'm no big fan of most of the liberal blogosphere, that Disembodied Head of Dick DeVos stuff (http://devos.wordpress.com) is truly funny as hell so I've been poking my head in on the Michigan areas of some of these boards during election season.

FWIW, it only took me a half day or so (off and on while doing other work, being on a boring concall, etc.) to dig up most of the above statistics via Google. It's not like I -knew- going in what to find, or what I'd find. I was just sick of DeVos' one-note "Granholm breaks promises" rant. Fuck, every politician promises tons of shit that doesn't get done, much less doesn't get done right away. Let's look at the big picture. Sooo....

I started by digging up "what BIG things did she really say she'd do this term", which led to her old plan of record. Then I asked myself "what would I search for to show evidence that she did or didn't do that", and showed my work so others could follow along or criticize. I did statistical number-crunching in a world before Excel as an occupational hazard, which helps me frame stuff a bit and look for sub-obvious bullshit. But, it's not like I have this rolodex with Granholm factoids on it and just now found the time to spit it out.

I think your political knowledge is a bit intimidating Mxy, so don't be "disappointed" if your posts aren't drawing a lot of responses.

I have a feeling that they are being read/enjoyed in any case.

Thanks.

I think the fact that the dude can Google up the addresses, phone numbers, and personal histories of the omish is a bit more intimidating but yeah I only comment on the stuff I've got some personal experience with and while I don't enjoy exchanging barbs with the other side of the aisle (e.g. Taymelo) I definately read the stuff on the actual issues even if I don't comment.

Thanks for sharing all the work.

Good lord MXY, that shit is incredible.

Great work.

EDIT: Thanks for the WTF link too, lol.

Latest amusements here...

Tim Skubick, LONG-time state politics weenie and the guy rabidly drilling both candidates in the first debate, is someone who doesn't care much for any governor not named Milliken. He wrote up a lame article on political retorts, but stated plainly the most compelling reason to not vote for DeVos:

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/OPINION02/610200305/1087/opinion


First it's pretty clear DeVos is not a student of state government and is therefore at a distinct disadvantage because she is.

Running for state governor and not knowing state government... lovely. DeVos is now backing down from claims that he'll implement big tax cuts:

http://macombdaily.com/stories/102106/loc_20061021005.shtml


DeVos admits he can't cut taxes by very much

Gubernatorial candidate says he'll offer alternatives.

And if you thought DeVos saying he's furious sounded lame, listen to sensitive new-age please-women-vote-for-me DeVos say that he'll be like a lion:

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Video.aspx?ID=100&TypeID=1

His new ads are actually stirring, and most of the Granholm ads (with the notable exception of the education one) aren't. It'll be tighter than the 8 to 17 points that this article indicates:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15335498/site/newsweek/

And if you thought DeVos saying he's furious sounded lame, listen to sensitive new-age please-women-vote-for-me DeVos say that he'll be like a lion:

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Video.aspx?ID=100&TypeID=1



Nice work. The only thing anybody will get out of that commecial is that his daughters are 18 and 21. That's about it.

The NRA hasn't made an endorsement in the governor's race. Neither has American Rifleman.

DeVos has an "A" grade from the NRA, based on a survey he filed. Given that one of the biggest nationwide gun shows -- the Ultimate Sport & RV Show -- happens at DeVos Place, he has every incentive to suck up to the NRA and vice versa. By contrast, Granholm has a "B-" grade, because she came out against weakened concealed weapons permits as attorney general (along with lots of other law & order sorts). As Governor, she's been solidly pro-gun, supporting Proposal 3, "castle doctrine" laws, etc.. Reportedly, Lt. Governor Cherry has had a big hand in keeping her in the NRA's good graces.

Also, with regard to education, the "billion dollar" fat he intends to cut out of education is a tactic called the "65% solution". Currently, we spend 57 cents on the dollar on classroom education, and he'd get that back to 65 cents/dollar like it was in the past. The one big catch is that most of the reason for non-classroom costs involves complying with new laws that add to administrative costs -- special education, ADA laws, No Child Left Behind, safety regs, etc. Here's a decent writeup:

http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1395&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951

Apparently, the tactic is to squeeze pro-education Democrats by pointing out how inefficient the educational system they run really is, neglecting all the unfunded mandates that have come down since.

Here's another rant by yours truly, basically exposing that Granholm cites sources of information truthfully, while DeVos doesn't. I caught him in a pretty egregious bit of lying at the end:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/26/17465/738

And, my discovery of the week. Check out:

http://www.upjohninst.org/michreportqanda.html

which is a very readable discussion by economists explaining their report about what's really going wrong with Michigan's economy, and it debunks a lot of the statistics used by DeVos in the process.

Oh, and DeVos accidentally sent out a letter to his faithful supporters indicating that Michigan had the -lowest- unemployment rate. You'd think that somewhere in the $35 million he's spent on the campaign (as of a week ago), he'd hire a proofreader:

http://christinebarry.com/images/devos.jpg

Dick DeVos, football legend in his own mind:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1162474515131230.xml&coll=6


A former Forest Hills Central High School football coach says a scene Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos vividly describes in a recent edition of the school newspaper never took place.

DeVos stands by the story, and his spokesman accused the coach of "revisionist history."

In an interview in The Forest Edge, DeVos talks about playing football at Forest Hills High School, which later became Forest Hills Central. He graduated in 1973.

DeVos recounts a conversation he had with then-head varsity football coach Frank Rosengren: "He and I took a walk right behind this building (the old gym). It was a warm day and I remember he told me, 'Dick, I am going to start you because you have leadership skills and the team responds to your leadership.' "

DeVos went on to say: "That was a great encouragement to me. Those words were very important to me. Someone I respected affirmed that skill as I was a young person, and I will remember it the rest of my life."

Rosengren, 69, is now retired and living in Elk Rapids. He said the conversation never took place. He never walked with DeVos behind the gym for the coach-athlete heart-to-heart, Rosengren said, and he's certain DeVos never started as a quarterback in a varsity football game.

"He used my name and it isn't true," said Rosengren, a Democrat. "There may be other people that played on that team that knew better. It just isn't right."

However, the father of Forest Hills' starting quarterback that year, Randy Lanning, said he vividly recalls DeVos starting one game, though not necessarily because of his leadership abilities.

The coach benched Lanning because he wasn't working hard enough in practice, said Lanning's father, Elmer Lanning.

He recalls DeVos starting one game against East Grand Rapids. "He played well that game," said Lanning, who already has cast his vote for DeVos on an absentee ballot.

A Press report on the East Grand Rapids game doesn't list the name of a Forest Hills quarterback, but says Forest Hills completed one of nine passes for 18 yards in a 26-6 loss.

Rosengren's assistant coach, Bernard "Bunk" VanArk, said he recalls Lanning being benched, but he doesn't remember DeVos starting that game.

"I don't want to do anything to hurt Dick DeVos," VanArk said. "I voted absentee ballot, and I voted for him."

DeVos has told the story before. Virtually the same scene is recounted on his campaign Web site in a biographical sketch of DeVos, without mentioning Rosengren by name.

The Web site biography quotes DeVos as saying, "... I remember taking a walk with my head coach once. He told me he was going to start me (at quarterback) in the next game because he said he saw the way the team responded to me from a leadership standpoint."

"It wouldn't surprise me if a Democrat was trying to create some revisionist history," said DeVos spokesman John Truscott. DeVos is a "decent, honorable person who's been subjected to some of the nastiest stuff I've seen in my career," Truscott added. "I'm sure the MEA (Michigan Education Association) bosses came down on this guy and told him to say this."

Rosengren admits he is no political fan of DeVos, who is running against Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"I'm a Democrat," said Rosengren. "I wasn't going to vote for Dick DeVos."

But he said he isn't taking direction from the teacher's union.

"I don't even know who the MEA bosses are," said Rosengren, who left the Forest Hills system in 1985 and eventually became a school principal. "I ended up being a school administrator in Michigan (and Wisconsin). I was on the other side of the bargaining table, for God's sake."

Rosengren said he remembered the young DeVos as a "good kid" and "polite," though clearly not a star on the field. "He didn't do those things, and the scene he describes never took place."

I hate politics.

It does sound like Devos could start for the Lions however.

A Press report on the East Grand Rapids game doesn't list the name of a Forest Hills quarterback, but says Forest Hills completed one of nine passes for 18 yards in a 26-6 loss.

The fact that DeVos and Joey Harrington actually share the same birthday just got a little more interesting/ironic.

So his buddy says this:


He recalls DeVos starting one game against East Grand Rapids. "He played well that game," said Lanning, who already has cast his vote for DeVos on an absentee ballot.

And this is the stats for that game:


A Press report on the East Grand Rapids game doesn't list the name of a Forest Hills quarterback, but says Forest Hills completed one of nine passes for 18 yards in a 26-6 loss.

I have a hard time thinking his buddy has an accurate account of DeVos playing "well" that game.

im going to need to know about the yac (s) in that game before i make my final decision on who to vote for... very amusing. i have friends who try to pick up drunk girls at bars with claims of highschool football championsip game glory. i dont think i would for any of them, either.

Latest DeVos craptacular talking points that amuse me:

1) Welfare ad on TV:

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Multimedia/MMPlayer_Set.aspx?ID=107&TypeID=1

DeVos is talking smack about how Granholm veto'ed welfare reform. He neglects to mention that Granholm simply wanted the same exceptions for catastrophic conditions that every other surrounding state had in place. At DeVos' behest, the State Legislature blocked giving her revised legislation to sign, just so it could be a talking point in the campaign. Around the same time, the State Legislature did take the initiative to vote themselves a 40% pay raise. Cute, eh?

2) Water system ad in the mail:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68361887@N00/288736597/in/photostream/

DeVos is talking smack about how Granholm vetoed legislation that prevents those evil water overlords in Detroit from screwing suburbanites on water prices. He neglects to mention that, owing to Coleman Young-era antics, the Detroit water system is under the control of John Feikens, a federal judge, not the Detroit water board. Any Michigan law regulating the Detroit water system is unconstitutional because federal law trumps state law, and Feikens has explicitly said that these laws are bullshit. This hasn't stopped Laura Toy and our oh-so-fucking-brilliant State Legislature from writing multiple bills that Granholm can't legally pass. Really fucking productive bunch, I tellya...

3) DeVos listing Martin Scorsese and Madonna as standling alongside Granholm:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68361887@N00/287336428/

While the male/female vote disparity is getting play, the bigger deal is that people age 55 and up break for Granholm by 25+%, likely because they have the keenest feel for just how bad ScAmway was. They're trying to get to those people by lumping older figures they know with Granholm.

4) Various piles of horseshit in obnoxious robocalls by the DeVos campaign, mostly originating out Texas:

http://www.putfile.com/republicanrobocalls/media

There's a law that our State Reps unanimously tried to pass to make those obnoxious robocalls illegal, much as is the case in Indiana, New Hampshire, etc. Once it went to the State Senate, Ken Sikkema (DeVos' boy) sat on it. DeVos wanted it legal so he could bug the shit out of you. Disappointing.

devos lost this election the second he had his cult followers go out and collect signatures for him.

as the old saying goes, one in devos's cult is worth two in granholm's bush.

Ok, this is just too fucking funny -- DeVos holding a gun as if he's actually gonna take a shot with it:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c363/joan_lapucelle/DeVos_Guns-1.jpg

Note that he doesn't have his finger on the trigger. That's probably a good thing because if he were to actually take a shot, the kickback would whack him in the face given the cock-eyed way he's holding the gun and he would almost assuredly miss whatever he was shooting at. He'd probably dirty the dress shirt that oh-so-clearly aligns him with the hunting community. This is like Dukakis riding around in a fucking tank!

As already noted above, the NRA has endorsed neither candidate, and they have donated to Granholm in the past.

Also, the NYTimes gets it wrong in claiming that Hillary Clinton spent the most. Dick DeVos gave over $35 million reasons to vote for Granholm, in a media market less expensive than NY:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/nyregion/07spend.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1162922400-fukutT9ftcxo0wIlZXOK2A

And on a lighter note, check out:

http://mirror.video.blip.tv/Outobol-DickAndJensPeoplesVideoContest763.mp4

I'm still slackjawed that Granny won by >10%. I would never have bet on it being this big a victory. Especially with a newly Democratic state House to work with, I think this bodes well.

By the way, I want to thank you again, Uncle Mxy, for all of the great stuff you posted in this thread.

me too. devos probably hates you though.

Anybody have a county map showing who won where?

I've poked around looking for one myself with no luck.

NPR has a good interactive one (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/election_night_2006/state_maps/MI/index.html?SITE=NPR&SECTION=POLITICS).

That link might not work. You can get to it from www.michiganradio.org (http://www.michiganradio.org/) with a little clicking.

Link works, great find.

Glad to see Granny locked up the crucial battleground of Keweenaw Co.

Interesting that she won the entire UP.

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/images/DD_CMC_logo.gif
http://www.devosforgovernor.com/images/DD_CMC_topcrv.jpg
http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Media/BusTour/Day14/DDV_Headshot_sm.jpg

Dear Friends,



To our entire Team for Change, thank you for standing beside me in the race for Governor.


You stood with us and so did 1.6 million Michigan voters and on behalf of Betsy, and me, and our entire family we extend our deepest thanks and gratitude for your support. Our faith provides us with great assurance that God has other plans for us now.


While the change Michigan needed didn't happen, the experience was a great blessing to me. For 16 months you opened your homes, your workplaces and your hearts and I was able to see the true beauty of this great state. You humbled me with the time you invested to put up signs, knock on doors, make phone calls, help with fundraising, talk to your family and friends and lend me your personal credibility through your public support. You gave fully of your time, your talent and your treasure and I am most grateful.


It was an honor to represent you in this campaign. I will never forget the opportunity you gave me.


While the results of the election were not the results we wanted, we fought hard to make a difference. We ran a great campaign together, supporting both the ideas and the ideals we share. Together we refused to allow ourselves to be drawn down into a campaign of personal attack and innuendo knowing as a friend said "its one thing to lose an election, but much worse to lose your honor". We stood honorably together.


Thank you for support, your time, your help, your ear, and your heart.


Gratefully,
http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Media/Newsletter/2006-02-01/ddv_sig2.gif

Dick DeVos

While the results of the election were not the results we wanted, we fought hard to make a difference. We ran a great campaign together, supporting both the ideas and the ideals we share. Together we refused to allow ourselves to be drawn down into a campaign of personal attack and innuendo knowing as a friend said "its one thing to lose an election, but much worse to lose your honor". We stood honorably together.

wow, thats fairly weak to lie on your way out.

BTW, the "friend" he's quoting is Fred Dalton Thompson, former Republican Senator, now actor on Law & Order. What's ironic is that Fred said it to a guy who was 15-20 points down and shovelling all sorts of shit just to see what would stick... exactly what DeVos was doing at the end to Granholm.

Jennifer Granholm is hot.

The true totals are seeping in and the Amway Arena thing just reminded me:

DeVos spent $35+ million of his own money, for a total of over $42 million -just- in the "Dick DeVos For Governor" pile. Add that to the soft money (money to the Michigan Republican Party, all those Amway ads, Daddy Rich DeVos was 12% of the funding for the Republican Governors Association, etc.) and it's fair to say that there was $40+ million in Amway money for a $50+ million dollar campaign in total.

The only other candidates in that stratosphere were:

1) Charlie Crist, Florida's new governor, whose total campaign was also about $40-50 million because the Republicans like their swing states
2) Ahnuld Governator out of Cali-for-ny-a, and even his campaign money paled in comparison to money spent on the ballot proposals
3) Hillary Clinton, who inexplicably spent a buttload of money in NY even when she was far FAR ahead right out the gate