Ballots have been in play for the past three weeks, and just 18 days remain until the crowded Republican gubernatorial field finally boils down to one nominee. Here’s what you’ve missed.
A Look Into the Future
“All five remaining, previously courteous Republicans quickly devolved into a shouting match at several instances over the predictable. Who is the bigger anti-vaxxer. Who did more to stop the non-existent election fraud. Who is trying to strip the most rights from millions of Michigan women and families. Whose rants have been featured more on national conservative media. You know, all the issues of substance that actually matter to working families and will keep Michigan first.”
That is exactly what we said after the 4th Republican primary debate in Warren. It remained true for the 5th debate in Grand Rapids, and this same recap applies to tonight’s performance as well. Seven sanctioned debates and they continue to push the same radical, wrong-for-Michigan agendas, so if they refuse to change their tune, why should we?
The Red Wave That Wasn’t
Once optimistic about the prospect of Michigan Republicans sourcing a candidate at the top of the ticket that would not only be able to energize voters but also put the whole down ballot team on their back, conservative Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley is now singing a much more somber tune. From his latest:
“If it seems as if Republicans are just going through the motions of a gubernatorial primary campaign, listlessly ticking off the days until Aug. 2 when they can officially anoint a sacrificial lamb to face Gretchen Whitmer in the fall, that’s because that’s what’s happening.
“By traditional measures, what the five Republicans left in the race are doing this summer barely qualifies as a political campaign. […]
“Keeping the general election race competitive is vital for Republicans, particularly since they’ve picked such disastrous candidates to run for attorney general and secretary of state. If the entire top of the GOP ticket collapses, it could wipe out Republicans in congressional and legislative races as well.”
While we can see how our friends across the aisle may be interpreting this primary as “campaign malpractice,” perhaps the five left on the ballot are failing to gain traction because their completely backwards visions for Michigan belong nowhere near the governor’s office. Who would we be if we disagreed with that?
The “RINO” Sellout vs. the “Pervy” Millionaire
Yesterday, Kevin Rinke said no more Mr. Nice Used Toyota Salesman, launching an “aggressive” strike against DeVos sellout and most recent MIGOP-insider darling Tudor Dixon. Rinke dedicates all 30 seconds to hitting her where it hurts – right in the endorsements, plainly communicating to voters that she is an “‘establishment’ Republican who can’t be trusted.”
In response, Dixon pointed out the “voluminous accusations of discrimination, sexual harassment complaints” that continue to swirl around Rinke. Safe to say they will not be signing each other’s yearbooks come August 3rd.
Keep Playing With Michiganders Reproductive Freedoms if You Want To
To put it plainly, millions of Michiganders are awash with rage following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. How mad, you ask? Let’s bust out more numbers courtesy of Detroit News:
- Percentage of Michigan voters who oppose the ruling: 58%
- Percentage of Michigan women who oppose the ruling: 63%
- Percentage of Michigan independents who oppose the ruling: 68%
- Percentage of Michigan voters who will be using a candidate’s stance on abortion to inform their support: 86%
- Number of signatures submitted on Monday backing a petition initiative to codify a right to an abortion in Michigan: “more than 750,000”
- A Michigan in which millions of women and families can make their own reproductive choices: priceless
Yet, on the Republicans press with their truly-no-one-is-asking-for-this crusade to eliminate virtually all access to abortion, five extreme stances that clearly aren’t going unnoticed by Michiganders.
Ryan Kelly Finds His Carly Fiorina
If you’re old enough to get that reference, you may be entitled to financial compensation. This week, name ID frontrunner and insurrectionist Ryan Kelley kept the momentum going by tapping Jamie Swafford to be his lieutenant governor. A former GOP vice chair, Swafford was also in attendance during the violent January 6th storming of the U.S. Capitol that resulted in five deaths and 140 injured law enforcement officers. That’s pretty much all there is to know.
