Where are the candidates?

by: grmom

Fri Aug 13, 2010 at 11:41:00 AM EDT

There were 44,000 first-time voters in the 2nd CD in 2008.  And all of them must be wondering now if there are candidates from both parties running in November.  A glance at the primary coverage from the papers and tv over the past 10 days would show them: a lovely photo of Bill Huizenga's family on the front page of the Holland Sentinel and an hour-by-hour accounting of his day of "triumph." You'd have thought he was elected to something -- like maybe President of the United States -- instead of nominated.

There was similar, but less dramatic coverage from the rest.  Those first-time voters would have to look hard -- below the fold, past the jump, no photo, no bold type -- to see that Fred Johnson won the Democratic nomination.  Sure it's an uphill struggle for a Democrat on the Lakeshore,

but it's even harder when the MSM throw rocks at you.  The readers of the Sentinel have taken up the argument -- letters to the editor are asking for coverage of ALL the candidates.  In fact, the paper responded with a completely witless analysis of the primary vote that presumed the numbers in the general election would exactly reflect the primary.  The campaign didn't even have to respond to that one -- readers pointed out the Sentinel had ignored the crossover vote and the fact that the Republican campaign was a dog-eat-dog affair with four potential winners. 

So in the meantime, Fred Johnson -- who ran the strongest campaign ever by a Democrat against Pete Hoekstra in '08 -- is forced to pay for expensive programs to reach those first-time voters.  He's got to knock on more doors and make more phone calls and pay for more tv ads to find the rest of the West Michigan voters who care about jobs and health care and education and renewable energy instead of (cue the scary music) Son-of-Hoekstra Bill Huizenga.   

Want to know more about Fred Johnson and his campaign?  He's a genuine progressive with a real, gut-level understanding of the problems Michigan voters face.  He's a veteran of the Marine Corps and an educator.  He has worked in private industry.  He's been laid off. 

Fred has a doctorate in American history.  He knows more about what the founding fathers were REALLY talking about than the entire Tea Party movement put together.  

Stop by his table in Detroit at the MDP Convention on Saturday August 28th.  He'll autograph a book for substantial donors.  He'll talk to all of you about who he is and what he wants to do.  Can't wait or not coming?   See him on Lavonia and Friends on channel 33 in the Detroit area on Tuesday evening.  The show runs from 7 to 8 pm.  

 I work on the Fred Johnson campaign because I believe he's a great candidate with a lot to offer West Michigan.  Check him out for yourself.  And donate -- show the West Michigan media this race wasn't over before it began!