So... we had a Primary Election...

Thoughts

I'm surprised to hear your thoughts on HD-2.  I don't really know Tim, but I only know Alberta as a church-lady type on the Detroit city council.  In faact, what I remember best about her is her constant railings against so-called vices such as alcohol and strip clubs in the city.  That district deserved better choices.

In HD-67, I'm also a bit disappointed Sorg lost, though it's not really a surprise.  Tom is a well-known lifer in these parts.  To be honest, he probably will have an easier time holding this one for the Dems if even he's underwhelming as a candidate, so I guess that's the silver lining.

In HD-68, my district, I wasn't pleased with any of the candidates, really.  Everyone seems to love Andy, but I find him a bit arrogant and ladder-climbing.  I guess wecould have done worse, but I don't see him as the second coming some progressives do.

Next door in HD-69, is Susan (the Meridian Supervisor one) really that out of the running?  She seems like a candidate that could make this closer than any Republican has in years for the simple fact that she's a legitimate moderate, if even she still losese.  I actually kind of like how she's managed Meridian Township; I wish we had more Republicans like her.  Anyway, I like Sam so much more it's not even funny.  Now this guy is a true rising star.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Thu Aug 09, 2012 at 01:47:34 AM UTC

Highly unscientific round up...

I agree with you on HD-2 but with half a dozen folks I consider "progressive" or "liberal" doing backflips on Tuesday, I thought it worth a mention. 

You know, Susan M. does a pretty good job for Meridian Township. She's a moderate Republican who supports walkable/bikeable communities and seems to manage the few Tea Party/Right Wingers who live in Haslett and the more rural parts of the Township but you're right - Sam's the guy and he'll win in November with 70+% of the vote. 

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

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by: JPowers155 @ Thu Aug 09, 2012 at 11:50:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Looking good

The generic ballot polling for Dems has been good the two times it's been polled, this year.  I saw a diary on Kos, yesterday, showing that there was an unusually large Dem turnout in the western UP which bodes well for winning those seats back in the fall (and perhaps winning back the congressional seat).  If things are going good, up there, it would be a surprise if we didn't take back the state house.  I like our chances, I just hope we don't underestimate the opposition like we did in 2010.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Thu Aug 09, 2012 at 12:43:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree

ATT was part of the Worst. Detroit. City Council. EVAR. Meanwhile, Bledsoe was a professor (previously endorsed by Michigan Equality), and I must have missed the votes where he got all DINO-y. Which ones were those?

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by: countvonbob @ Thu Aug 09, 2012 at 13:30:38 PM UTC

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Unfair

MiddleAnonymousGuy, your description of Andy is the exact OPPOSITE of reality. He's very good people.

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by: Thomas Morgan @ Fri Aug 10, 2012 at 20:19:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes!

72nd House District

Wait. Is this OUR Scotty Urbanowski? I'm pretty sure it is. Squee!

Funny story: They asked me if I could be on the ballot as a 'paper candidate' - and I said sure.

But make no mistake: Ken Yonker has a lot to answer for, even in this red district.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Fri Aug 10, 2012 at 18:58:39 PM UTC

I'd also mention...

Winnie Brinks got more than 11 times as many votes as she needed in order to get on the ballot as the Democratic nominee in the 76th.

I would attribute Amash's performance in the primary to the fact that we had a lot of township and county commission primaries on the Republican side in the area. I can't think of a township in Kent County that didn't have a Republican primary for such offices. Those primaries - plus the fact that Pete Hoekstra is much adored here - got people to vote for all the unopposed Republicans.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Fri Aug 10, 2012 at 19:09:34 PM UTC

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Amash

Can I be honest?  I think Pestka will do far better against Amash than this reworked district's previous incumbents, but I think the idea that Amash is viewed as some kind of generic right-wing wacko is more of a wish by our side.  I think we need another angle from which to get him, because I think even a lot of independent-minded folks view him as principled even if they don't like his ideas.  So, I'm not surprised by the turnout.  Sure, in most districts local initiatives add to certain candidates' totals, but I think more of the turnout was for Amash than you may think.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sat Aug 11, 2012 at 00:53:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

We'll see

He sure does like to paint himself as the solution to everything that ails Washington, even though he typifies the problem. He might end up being successful in that.

But Amash is in more trouble than most incumbents. His approval rating is through the floor, hovering around 30%. That's low even for an incumbent member of Congress. Whereas most individual members of Congress have a higher approval rating than does Congress as a whole, that is not as true for Amash as it is for, say, Camp or Upton (or Ehlers when he was in office). As many people, if not more, want to replace him than re-elect him. Even a lot of Republicans are unhappy with him.

There are many angles on which to attack Amash, including his remark that Paul Ryan's anti-Medicare plan doesn't go far enough. If Paul Ryan is Romney's running mate (as is being reported right now), then his plan will be in focus - and it may well be detested by all but the most conservative among us.

Having Ryan on the ticket may help Obama win as decisively as in 2008. If it does, there may be a huge coattail effect; the new 3rd may go to Obama by an even bigger margin than in 2008, and in the process, they may oust their unpopular, arch-conservative congressman.

Of course, that might not happen. Even so, when people hear that Amash (whom they dislike to begin with) thinks Ryan's plan doesn't go far enough, that won't help him. And look for Pestka to make an issue of that; he has already made a big deal about it (as did Trevor Thomas when he was running).

Anyway, as to why Amash got so many votes: Another theory I have is that there are those who really, really like him, and they showed up to vote on Tuesday, and they made sure to vote for him (and other conservatives) on the ballot). But he is rather polarizing; other than those who really like him (most of whom did vote for him Tuesday), he doesn't seem to have many fans.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Sat Aug 11, 2012 at 06:06:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

We'll see

He sure does like to paint himself as the solution to everything that ails Washington, even though he typifies the problem. He might end up being successful in that.

But Amash is in more trouble than most incumbents. His approval rating is through the floor, hovering around 30%. That's low even for an incumbent member of Congress. Whereas most individual members of Congress have a higher approval rating than does Congress as a whole, that is not as true for Amash as it is for, say, Camp or Upton (or Ehlers when he was in office). As many people, if not more, want to replace him than re-elect him. Even a lot of Republicans are unhappy with him.

There are many angles on which to attack Amash, including his remark that Paul Ryan's anti-Medicare plan doesn't go far enough. If Paul Ryan is Romney's running mate (as is being reported right now), then his plan will be in focus - and it may well be detested by all but the most conservative among us.

Having Ryan on the ticket may help Obama win as decisively as in 2008. If it does, there may be a huge coattail effect; the new 3rd may go to Obama by an even bigger margin than in 2008, and in the process, they may oust their unpopular, arch-conservative congressman.

Of course, that might not happen. Even so, when people hear that Amash (whom they dislike to begin with) thinks Ryan's plan doesn't go far enough, that won't help him. And look for Pestka to make an issue of that; he has already made a big deal about it (as did Trevor Thomas when he was running).

Anyway, as to why Amash got so many votes: Another theory I have is that there are those who really, really like him, and they showed up to vote on Tuesday, and they made sure to vote for him (and other conservatives) on the ballot). But he is rather polarizing; other than those who really like him (most of whom did vote for him Tuesday), he doesn't seem to have many fans.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Sat Aug 11, 2012 at 06:06:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah

Don't get me wrong, it's not my intention to discourage, but I do want to be realistic.  I think you make a good point about him having a rather high ceiling...but because of the rabidness of the Paulities, it also means he has a rather high floor to start out on, and it makes it harder to peel off support.  The best thing you can do in these type of races is to depress turnout on the other side, preferably by showing their "hero" as a hypocrite when you can.  We need Grand Rapids and Battle Creek to turnout big.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sun Aug 12, 2012 at 01:05:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]