After a two-week hiatus to focus on the trainwreck in slow motion formerly known as the MIGOP and their chaotic convention, we’re back to talk about what’s going on at the equally messy top of the ticket. Here’s what went down this week.
What’s a Circus Without a Tightrope?
Republicans James Craig, Tudor Dixon, and Perry Johnson showed Michiganders just how big their glass houses are this week after evidence was uncovered showing massive fraud and forgery in the nominating petitions they submitted. Apparently accessing the ballot the old-fashioned way isn’t a quality way to lead from the front [insert Tudor’s tagline here, does she even have one?] anymore.
Fair play to Garrett Soldano who called them out on this exact point: “As other ‘front runners’ scrambled to hire paid circulators to get on the ballot, our grassroots volunteer army of MI patriots got the job done… in January.”
To be clear, the nominating petition challenges filed against Craig, Dixon, and Johnson this week accuse all three of committing the following no-no’s: “signatures from dead people, apparent forgeries, extensive signature errors, a high number of duplicate signatures and numerous address and jurisdictional issues.”
In their defense, if you’re going to take the lengths to dive into the crime pool at all, may as well be in the deep-end with both feet.
But it was a swing and a miss for the accused election fraudsters as they all shuffled around the clown car trying to capitalize on and legitimize the challenges of the other two while hoping Michiganders forget they are also implicated in the same fraud tactics listed above.
It’s bold, we’ll give them that.
Kevin, if You Don’t Care About Working Families, Just Say That
After being off the airwaves for a while, out-of-touch millionaire Kevin Rinke is back at it again to tout a tax plan that he doesn’t actually like explaining because it clearly screws over public schools, roads, law enforcement, and basically anything else a state needs to function – a conclusion we came to before economist Mitch Bean had to dunk on it as a “piss-poor public policy proposal.”
The used Toyota salesman refused to detail how he plans to “fund government without the revenue” and dodged questions asking whether he actually “weighed the potential damaging effects of such a plan if enacted,” which should set off a number of alarm bells for anyone that has ever, you know, driven on a road or wanted to live in a safe community.
Everytime We Wonder How It Could Possibly Get Worse For James Craig, It Does
We considered opening this section with a recap of how abysmal things have been for chief “neophyte” James Craig, but one, we’ve already done that multiple times. And two, at this point it would take all day.
This week it somehow got worse as U.S. Representative Jack Bergman made the unprecedented move of calling take-backsies on his previous endorsement of James Craig. Zero words were minced in the Congressman’s explanation why: “I can no longer in good faith extend my support to a candidate’s campaign that continues to neglect our grassroots across the First District and has ignored campaigning in Northern Michigan and the U.P.”
Tough *and* fair for the candidate that “didn’t have much of a presence” during last Saturday’s MIGOP convention, per MIRS. For some reason, Bergman is still misleadingly listed on the endorsement section of Craig’s website. We get it, breakups are hard.
Also His PAC Raised No Dollars Since Being Set Up Nine Months Ago
During an appearance on MIRS Monday, Craig was asked when he would spring for some paid advertising on TV. The retiree plainly admitted he “do[es] not have the bank for that.”
It appears his super PAC “We Need the Chief” won’t be able to pick up the slack as the pro-Craig entity set up by MIGOP insider John Engler hasn’t raised a single dollar since it was established last August and is also somehow $110 in debt. The picture of fiscal responsibility.
Johnson’s Ads Aren’t Exactly Giving Quality
And this time it’s not because he uses them to “inflate his own role” within the auto industry and relies on Russian stock footage to serve as the backdrop for these “self-aggrandizing ads.”
So far, Perry Johnson has spent $3.2 million to introduce himself to Michiganders. But just like his “prolific” junk faxes, they are rubbing folks the wrong way. Writing for Lansing City Pulse, Kyle Melinn gave a report from the ground: “The only question for Johnson is if he connects with voters. So far, the words I hear from regular people about his ads are ‘funny-looking,’ ‘weird,’ ‘creepy,’ and ‘arrogant.’ That’s not great.”
Mike Brown is Begging Someone, Anyone to Step Outside
Over the past few days, Mike Brown has been out with not one but two new video sideswipes against some of his opponents.
First, he took issue with Craig saying he was “the candidate to beat,” releasing a video pointing out that the “out of touch” Chief Neophyte was “Bad for Michigan” and issuing a press release to remind Michiganders that Craig “called police officers ‘weak kneed’” and “wouldn’t even take responsibility for his actions.”
Then Brown mocked “Biggest Loser” Perry Johnson for trying to broker a backroom endorsement deal that apparently fell through.
…Is the MIGOP Okay?
We couldn’t ignore the ongoing chaos happening within the MIGOP as the chances for unity are dwindling at an alarming rate, if these headlines are to be believed:
GONGWER: Great Schism At Hand For Michigan Republicans
Detroit News: Maddock Ousted From House GOP Caucus
Bridge Michigan: Matt Maddock Decries ‘Mess’ After Expulsion From Michigan House GOP Caucus
Detroit Free Press: Rep. Maddock’s Colleagues Split on Whether Removal From Caucus Could Help or Hurt Him
Detroit News: Michigan Republican Resigns From GOP Committee Citing ‘Delusional Lies’
Detroit Free Press: GOP’s Endorsed Candidates Could Face an Uphill Battle, Experts Say
Deadline Detroit: How Much Do Michigan Republicans Hurt Themselves This Year? Even Nolan Finley Counts the Ways
Detroit News Editorial: State GOP Not Ready to Win in November
Detroit News Editorial: The Empire Strikes Back. Wealthy GOP donors move to stop Trump takeover
Washington Post Editorial: Michigan Republicans Put Truth vs. Lies on This Year’s Ballot
VICE: GOP Picks QAnon and Voting Machine Conspiracy Theorists for Key Michigan Races
