Granholm v. DeVos

[giffman]

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.

[WTFchris]

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).

[Black Dynamite]

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.

[WTFchris]

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.

[Black Dynamite]

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.

[Mr. Oobir]

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.

[Glenn]

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.

[Glenn]

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

Have your sound on.

http://www.devosforgovernor.com/Medi...lash_Three.htm

[mercury]

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

[Uncle Mxy]

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.