Bernero picks up big labor endorsement

This is good news (0.00 / 0)

for Dillon...

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by: Nazgul35 @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 03:30:33 AM UTC

Ha! (4.00 / 1)

I was just about to ask, sarcastically "where is Brady to tell us how awesome and epic a win this is for Dillon?" lol

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 04:16:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Labor Endorsements (0.00 / 0)

It's good news for Bernero and well deserved.  If he hadn't gotten it, I doubt there would have been much of a primary race anymore.  

It remains to be seen how much the AFL-CIO will be willing and able to spend on Bernero.  And as Nazgul pointed out the other day, labor endorsements have a muted effect on primary voters.  Dillon wasn't the labor endorsed candidate for his House seat or for Speaker, yet he prevailed in both those races.

Still, yesterday was a red letter day for Virg and he deserves our congratulations for consistently standing up for fair benefits and wages, safe working conditions and social equality.

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by: Brady @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 18:07:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wrong (0.00 / 0)

While Dillon wasn't labor's candidate for Speaker, in the end they helped deliver the vote he needed to win.  Labor also helped keep Dillon from being recalled by fueling the aggressive campaign against the recall.  Dillon, of course, repaid this support by proposing to gut collective bargaining in Michigan.  

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by: LiberalBubba @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 18:29:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Dillon also supports the coal plants (0.00 / 0)

I'm guessing thats why some building trades came out for him early.  Thats also why Cherry, my first choice, got a cold shoulder from the trades; he was too scared of Granholm to come out and distance himself on the issue.  I'm not a Dillon supporter, but I generally like it when segments of labor show that they shouldn't be taken for granted.

On that issue, I'm guessing that AFSCME, MEA and AFT will soon show where they are on Dillon's horrible public employee ideas.

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by: IgnatiusDonnelly @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 19:49:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Historical record (0.00 / 0)

From MIRS, November 14, 2006:

"Caucus sources told MIRS the actual caucus meeting at which Dillon was elected was relatively calm, particularly in light of the nasty campaign launched against him in recent days by traditional Democratic supporters and unions.

Insiders told MIRS today that the anti-Dillon effort was hard-hitting and nasty. The phrase "Andy Dillon the Corporate Villain" has been used and others who had latched their wagons onto Dillon's were framed as "being evil."  

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by: Brady @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 21:01:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Looks like (4.00 / 2)

those who pegged Dillon as a "corporate villain" got it right. I think "Worst Democratic Speaker Ever" fits well too.  

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by: NoviDemocrat @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 03:26:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Does Labor matter (0.00 / 0)

This seems like a crazy question, but truth is that most of labor has been on the losing end of recent Democratic primaries in Michigan.  Check this out:

2006 - No primary (Granholm running for reelection)
2002 - Most of labor (other than Teamsters and MEA) support David Bonior; primary won by Jennifer Granholm
1998 - Labor supports Larry Owen; primary won by Geoffrey Fieger
1994 - Labor split (Larry Owen had MEA and Teamsters; Debbie Stabenow had SEIU and Building Trades; Howard Wolpe had UAW and most of AFL-CIO); Wolpe won primary
1990 - No primary (Blanchard running for reelection)
1986 - No primary (Blanchard running for reelection)
1982 - Labor supports Jim Blanchard; Blanchard wins primary

So it's not since at least 1994, and perhaps as far back as 1982, that labor's choice has won the Democratic primary.  And in the last two primaries, where UAW and AFL-CIO spent large sums to win, they lost.  

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by: twk @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 05:34:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Look at the candidates (4.00 / 1)

You have to take a look at the candidates and the dynamics of each election.  If you can make a case for Dillon or Alma Wheeler Smith being some unknown, dark-horse candidate surging to win the nomination, then you can say that labor doesn't matter.

In what has essentially been a months-long stalemate, this season, with only two viable candidates and with it being highly improbable that another big name will jump in, I don't see how labor endorsements couldn't make the difference this year.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 08:46:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Election Dynamics (4.00 / 2)

MiddleGrandGuy is spot on.

In the 1998 primary incumbent Republican Governor John Engler was essentially unchallenged and there was nothing much else happening in the Republican primary leading many Engler operatives such as Richard McClellan to openly lead a primary crossover vote for Democratic candidate Feiger in the Democratic primary. In the 2002 primary there were 3 viable Democratic candidates with resources, Attorney General Granholm, Governor Blanchard and Congressman Bonior to split up the Democratic vote while on the Republican side Lt Gov Posthumus and Senator Schwarz kept the Republican's home. To conclude that labor endorsements do not matter in the Democratic primary based on the last two contested Democratic primaries is probably a mistake.

This cycle it remains to be seen if Senator/Representative Alam Wheeler Smith will actually qualify for the ballot so there is a very good chance of a heads up match up between the spectacularly unaccomplished pro business, Right to Life, anti stem cell, anti enviroment Andy Dillon and Mayor Bernero. Further there is a lot going on in the Republican primary with a cast of characters to appeal to every stripe of Republican plus there are two hotly contested Republican congressional primaries therefore Dillon's natural constituency will have little reason to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary.

Dillon's approach appears to be to sell off his agenda to corporate backers like Detroit Edison who in return for being allowed to pollute, stick ratepayers and generate nuclear waste they will fund his campaign. It will be interesting to see what happens when a regulated business bets its future on such a weak politician.  

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by: Elliot @ Mon Mar 15, 2010 at 13:42:41 PM UTC