Campaign news and rumors: Virg run odds upped

Bernero on WJR (4.00 / 1)

Bernero on WJR just a few minutes ago.  He all but said he was running.  He's alredy got a very solid stump speech with all the passion that one would expect from him.  Dillon or not, Michigan Democrats are going to have a very colorful gubernatorial primary to look forward to with a number of solid choices.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 10:54:13 AM CST

Bernero for Governor (0.00 / 0)

Sounds like the campaign is finally starting to heat up. I liked him when I met him (as a lowly staffer) and I like his straight talking communications style now. This could get really interesting really fast.

---

by: yvette248 @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 23:39:02 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Virg as candidate for Guv. (4.00 / 3)

Well, he'll certainly make the race more colorful.  As to how he'll play in a larger arena, I really don't know.  I've known him forever - twenty years, I think - and I still haven't quite figured him out.

But one thing I have figured out - you owe me FIVE BUCKS!  (Your bet on Ken Cockrel winning the Detroit Council Presidency didn't pan out.  My guess that Pugh would take it looks in retrospect like a lucky guess - by election day I would have abandoned him for Gary Brown.)

Would you be willing to double the amount, and using it to sponsor another day of ML?

---

by: Grebner @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 02:30:11 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Paying up (4.00 / 2)

Yes, you got me Grebner. I completely forgot about our bet but am willing to pay up. My finely honed political skills didn't detect a Detroit electorate that was finally ready to 'throw the bums out'.

---

by: yvette248 @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 06:52:26 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It must be true... (0.00 / 0)

since there's now a Facebook group:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68152280020

and a blog:  http://www.draftvirg.blogspot.com/

dedicated to the subject.

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

---

by: JPowers155 @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 11:54:46 AM CST

Facebook (4.00 / 1)

It looks like the blog and Facebook group were created in February when Virg was getting national attention over GM.  But interestingly, Virg's daughter joined the Facebook group last night at 6:34 p.m. indicating family knowledge and support of a campaign for governor.  Carol Wood, however, has not yet joined the Facebook group.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 12:32:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Facebook, Part 2 (0.00 / 0)

Julie, two hours after posting the Facebook link here, the Virg for Governor group has doubled in size including a number of Michigan Liberal regulars such as the always cynical Nazgul.  He ought to hire you as his communications manager.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 14:20:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's not just Julie (4.00 / 1)

Apparently Virg's campaign manager, Patrick, is actively inviting people to the group. It's on like Saigon, folks.

---

by: countvonbob @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 15:25:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Brady (0.00 / 0)

there is a reason I don't use my real name...

---

by: Nazgul35 @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:02:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

names (4.00 / 1)

...which is why I didn't use it here even though you've never shared it with me.  And thanks to the speed at which Virg's campaign for governor is growing on Facebook, your true identity is well protected.  I'm just pleased to see you've finally shown some approval for a candidate.  I have little respect for cynics.  Michigan deserves more than that.  Especially at this point in her (hi)story.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:17:52 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I know Virg from Lansing (4.00 / 2)

I like him, even with all his foibles...

---

by: Nazgul35 @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:38:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Ha! (0.00 / 0)

I'm pretty sure the group's growth can be attributed to Patrick's enthusiam rather than my posting it here at MichLib.  Maybe I should ask for a cut... I hear there are a lot of kelly green Vote Virg shirts leftover from the mayoral campaign.

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

---

by: JPowers155 @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:25:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Virg Benaro: The Mouth (0.00 / 0)

Virg is not a bad guy, but he is full of it on occassion and frequently loses control of his ego. A reporter should FOIA Virg's calendar and see who he was meeting with in Washington DC that wanted Virg to run for governor because they do not exist. Virg is a Democratic version of Sarah Palin, all demagoguery and no substance, that is why he did so well on Fox News. Virg is another candidate like Mike Cox with body issues. Cox cannot keep his pants on and Virg cannot keep his foot out of his mouth. Parents with children of tender years will want to get some ear plugs for their kids or censor the news because when he is excited Virg's vocabulary is limited to using body functions as adjectives, verbs and nouns.  

---

by: Elliot @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 13:53:39 PM CST

No Substance? (4.00 / 5)

Um, huh?

I live in Lansing, and I'm more than a little curious why you think there's no substance. Unlike Palin, who got to pass balanced budgets using an upsurge in oil revenue, Bernero has had to balance budgets full of red ink.

To be blunt, the fact that you are comparing Bernero and Palin just leads me to think you really don't know much about Bernero.

---

by: boehmianrhapsody @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 15:30:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Although I Will Grant That the Man Loves to Talk (n/t)... (4.00 / 3)

---

by: boehmianrhapsody @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 15:37:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I like Cherry, but you're getting out of hand (4.00 / 1)

It looks like you are getting paid by Cherry to constantly hatchet any potential opposition.    

---

by: IgnatiusDonnelly @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 16:28:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not on Cherry's or Any Other Campaign Payroll (0.00 / 0)

I could support Virg if he were the Democratic nominee as unlike Dillon Virg Benaro is an actual Democrat. At the same time if you ever saw Virg out of control you would be concerned because Virg can get mad and start talking and  do a lot of damage to everybody including himself and the Democratic party. I have worked on a lot of statewide Democratic campaigns and Republican pollster Steve Mitchell to the contrary, John Cherry can beat any of the Republican candidates. John Cherry has the institutional knowledge, the political skill and gravitas, all qualities sadly lacking in the age of term limited officeholders, needed to help get the state moving in the right direction.  

---

by: Elliot @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 12:30:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You and I agree completely on Cherry (0.00 / 0)

Wouldn't it be nice to have an experienced hand to get us out of our current jam?

---

by: IgnatiusDonnelly @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 13:42:43 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Only in Politics Is the Lack of Experience Considered a Virtue (4.00 / 2)

If you needed to hire any other professional for any purpose whether it is a plumber, a pilot [The saying is there are old pilots and bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots.], a surgeon, a lawyer, an engineer, a home builder, an auto mechanic, etc, most things being equal you would want the most experienced person. But the Republicans sold term limits and hiring the least experienced politicians as a way to get control of the legislature and for the Republicans it worked, but at a terrible cost to the state.

It is not even fair to compare the current electeds to the pre term limited electeds, but the knowledge and contrast is so enormous it cannot be overstated. The lobby firms and bureacrats just shake their heads, laugh, and do what they want to do for the most part when confronted by legislative leaders like Dillon and Bishop. There is no bigger joke in Lansing than "Speaker Dillon" and "Senate Majority Leader Bishop."

John Cherry is one of the few people left who had respect of all sides, Republicans and Democrats, business and labor. In 2006 Granholm trailed her Republican opponent in the partisan polls until the campaign was engaged and the voters started to pay attention and she quickly passed her opponent and never looked back. Once John Cherry is engaged one on one with a Republican and the voters start paying attention the numbers will move in a good direction. The current polling is just something to either further an agenda or gin up some interest in a horse race. But no knowledgable or rational person would make decisions on information from pollsters like Steve Mitchell.  

---

by: Elliot @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 18:52:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Cherry (0.00 / 0)

Cherry will have to face the same questions any candidate for governor will face.  The are:

1.  What will you do to improve Michigan's economic future that your predecessors in Engler and Granholm didn't do?

2.  How have you seriously and significantly challenged the status quo within your own party and the state's political establishment?

---

by: Brady @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 20:08:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

What? (0.00 / 0)

Just because you believe those questions are critical to the election does not make it so. It would be an unusual election in 2010 if the voters who will decide the election are not more concerned about the candidates plans for the future then "challenging status quo" within their party and the past performance of prior governors. Some voters may care about your questions, but when voters are confronted with an actual choice of candidates and they have to pick one to go forward with those will probably not be the questions or issues that move the election.  

---

by: Elliot @ Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 04:50:39 AM CST

[ Parent ]

With 15% Unemployment, The Economy Will be A Critical Issue (0.00 / 0)

So Brady's question #1 is completely valid.

Cherry might have a good message, but he has yet to get it out there. Dillon, on the other hand, has been showboating for quite some time now.

---

by: boehmianrhapsody @ Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 06:25:44 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Criteria for Governor (0.00 / 0)

In my opinion, question number one will far and away be the most discussed topic of the election for governor.  I disagree with you if you think any candidate is going to get elected governor by tearing down her or his opposition like you've done on this blog rather than putting forward a detailed plan for economic recovery.

In terms of question number two, Michigan's electorate has been very clear that they believe the political system in Lansing is broken and that they are tired of the partisan bickering.  You're not going to see that so much here or at a conservative blog like Right Michigan since most of the bloggers on these sites tend to have very strong opinions on either the right or the left.   But the bloggers here or at Right Michigan don't represent the bulk of the electorate, particularly the independents who decide elections.  Those voters want someone who is either outside of state government or someone in state government who has demonstrated the political courage to affect real change within their own party and state government as a whole.  This is why a candidate like Virg Bernero is appealing to people.  John Freeman, by criticizing the proposal to freeze the Earned Income Tax Credit as a source of funds for college scholarships that are not need based, has also demonstrated this courage.

Don't take this as an attack by me on John Cherry.  I joined A Whole Lot of People Supporting John Cherry long before I also added myself to the groups supporting potential bids by Bernero and Dillon.  But even many of Cherry's supporters acknowledge there are issues with his campaign that need to be addressed but aren't being addressed yet.  That's part of the reason given by Bernero, who signed Cherry's nominating petitions, for now considering a run in the primary.

---

by: Brady @ Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 07:32:16 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Oh, I disagree with you on something... (0.00 / 0)

I think most of the people who contribute here are as tired of partisan bickering as everyone else.  I think most of the people have shown a great deal of support for reasonable compromise ... as long as compromise is made in good faith by the other person.  I think it's reasonable, based on word and action, to believe that other parties at the table are not negotiating and compromising in good faith.

Among the Trees

---

by: Eric B. @ Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 11:52:37 AM CST

[ Parent ]

What the hell? (4.00 / 1)

Is the constant comparisons to douchebag Repugs even necessary?

Putting conservatives in charge of our government makes about as much sense as GM hiring a CEO who hates cars.

---

by: djtyg @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 21:25:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I Like This... (4.00 / 1)

I really do like this idea...

He's got a strong enough record on fiscal issues to appeal to budget hawks, and he has experience actually managing a large organization. (Sorry, all you hopeful representatives and senators, managing a staff of, what, half a dozen, does not count.)

---

by: boehmianrhapsody @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 15:32:50 PM CST

Democratic choices (4.00 / 3)

I'm a fan of Benero, Cherry and Dillon for different reasons and would support any of them against Hoekstra or Cox.  What I love about Bernero running, and Dillon for that matter, is that it focuses the attention on Democrats and the diversity within our party.  If Hoekstra hasn't overcome Cox by next summer, they'll be fighting it out for "most conservative", a message that won't appeal to independents and centrists in the fall.  I know others disagree, but I think it would be fatal for the Democratic Party next year to have one candidate for governor hand picked by the party establishment.  Bernero will be a tough opponent.  I could easily see him building a winning coaltion of blue collar workers and young liberals.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 15:57:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Diversity? (0.00 / 0)

Three white guys? (I know...you mean ideological diversity)

I agree with your assessment about Cherry...whatever happens, I believe Dems are going to get their asses handed to them in 2010...simply because Dems are going to stay at home (evidently believing that disappointment in Democrats is a good enough reason to turn over significant portions of the government to the Palin-Beck wing of the GOP).

---

by: Nazgul35 @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:06:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

1984 Reversed (4.00 / 2)

Actually, I think Democrats have reached a national consensus and have become the new Silent Majority in our state and in our country.  I think we are in a much stronger position than the national media makes it out to be.  From it's very beginning, American has always been a progressive nation.  When people like you, Eric, Julie, Rich, and I can share a political party and all get along, we're in great shape.

---

by: Brady @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:26:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

... (4.00 / 1)

I think you're right in one regard ... I think the media makes a lot of Democratic Party weaknesses while forgetting that when it comes to the actual time to vote they'll have to pick an alternative.  And, despite poll numbers, I don't know that the Republican Party has really offered itself as that.

Among the Trees

---

by: Eric B. @ Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 22:53:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

blue collar? (0.00 / 0)

Brady, Bernero's use of the working class rhetoric on the national scale (ie Fox, CNN) doesn't square at all with his record in Lansing. He's got real problems, in some ways similar to Dillon's. He's endorsed anti-labor candidates (see: LCC trustees race), and he's been endorsed by staunchly anti-labor groups (the Lansing Chamber.)

Bernero's schtick might play well in Lansing as mayor, but I shudder to think that anyone would consider him to have the makings of a quality governor. His lies, on everything from small issues (his pledge to stop driving the city cadillac) to large (promising he would fulfill his second term,) and everything in between are worrisome.

His propensity to try to straddle the gap for personal gain is very Dillon-esque, and that is not a compliment.

I'm also betting that if we had a look at his calendar, we'd find that the Obama folks did not meet with Virg, nor did any Obama surrogate recruit him to run for Governor.

The only thing driving Virg is ego. And once those other candidates shell out some money to dig thru his closet, that ego will deflate.

---

by: NannyState @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:38:17 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Negativity (0.00 / 0)

As was pointed out last night with Elliot, there has been a tendency in recent weeks for anonymous bloggers who are not regulars to use Michigan Liberal as a forum to trash anyone running against John Cherry.  In this case, you just registered on this blog today.

In response to Elliot, Ignatius Donnelly, a Cherry supporter and a regular blogger, points out that it appears "you are getting paid by Cherry to constantly hatchet any potential opposition".

While I strongly doubt the Cherry campaign would abuse political blogs this way, I can tell you that as someone who supports all three candidates, it doesn't paint the Cherry campaign in a good light.  It makes them look desperate to avoid any type of primary challenge that would give Democratic voters a choice.

A Democratic primary with viable options is a good thing for the party.  It puts the focus on the Democratic ideas rather than on Republicans.  If you don't like Bernero, focus instead on discussing Cherry's ideas to turn Michigan around.  Hammering on his potential opponents does no favors to your candidate and only increases that split with those here who like the idea of Bernero running for Governor.  Quite frankly, given the anonymous nature of these comments, I suspect they're coming from outside the party.  In Elliot's case, it would be someone who also doesn't like Cox.

---

by: Brady @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:04:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

This is actually something I hear all the time from Lansing residents (0.00 / 0)

One of the things that has failed to excite me over this is that the people I know who live in Lansing and are not connected to the political scene appear to have very little regard for Bernero.  This is a very diverse group of people none of whom know one another.

I'm not quite sure how I jibe that with his easy win last month, or whether the people I know are just a cranky subset of the Lansing population at large, but it doesn't strike me as terribly reflective of the Cherry campaign when people show up here and say things I've heard from regular old residents of Lansing.

Among the Trees

---

by: Eric B. @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:11:10 AM CST

[ Parent ]

re: Negativity (4.00 / 1)

I'm not a Cherry supporter. I feel compelled to tell you that I have zero affiliation with the Cherry campaign, or any other campaign -- Republican or Dem.

I will tell you that I am a registered Dem. And I want a good Dem candidate, one who supports the constituencies who traditionally support Dems. Is it too much to ask for a viable Dem candidate who supports labor, social issues, and, god forbid, raising revenues?

---

by: NannyState @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:27:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Welcome to MichLib (4.00 / 1)

In that case, Nanny, welcome to Michigan Liberal.  We look forward to your future comments and diaries on a variety of issues.  And while you're at it, please consider sponsoring the blog for a day.  The owner puts a lot of personal time and energy into this blog with little compensation.

---

by: Brady @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:49:54 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks, Brady (4.00 / 1)

I look forward to it. I've been a fan of the blog for a while now, but hadn't been frustrated enough to do more than lurk.  

---

by: NannyState @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:57:29 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Another plus of a primary (4.00 / 2)

is that it forces the winning candidate to develop the tools necessary to win the general election...which, given what is coming, would be a real plus.

---

by: Nazgul35 @ Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:50:07 AM CST

[ Parent ]