Convention day is today! Open thread

hate to say it

But am seeing alot of Johnson supporters, at least 2 or 3 to 1. Problem is many of them all seem to be from 13 and 9 and 14

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 17:09:02 PM UTC

I would have said ten to one.

Really, if you count t-shirts and hats, it's got to be.

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by: Grebner @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 19:10:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

that being said

Alot of them are uaw and i have overheard some were refuse credentials
 

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 17:39:54 PM UTC

Unity

At least n the 5thCD where I am now we just elected a unity slate of state central delegates & executive committee members from both sides of the chair race.  Lots of unity talk here in advance of the floor showdown at 3pm

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by: LiberalBubba @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 19:01:49 PM UTC

Meanwhile, at the GOP convention in Lansing

In the first contested election for Republican state party chair since 1977, challenger Todd Courser lost to incumbent Bobby Schostak by only 4 percentage points. Courser failed to make the traditional motion to make the vote unanimous, and has gotten slammed on Twitter for that.

Who says state conventions are dull?

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

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by: Hy Dudgeon @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 19:34:02 PM UTC

Bob King...

has to be liking his chances after putting up all those UAW Appointees in downtown hotels.    

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by: DemRenegade @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 20:38:32 PM UTC

he stepped down

Brewer stepped down

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 20:53:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Holy wuh. n/t

Do stupid people know they are stupid?

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by: JPowers155 @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 20:55:15 PM UTC

Brewer just withdrew his candidacy

On the floor. Classy.

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by: Brainwrap @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 20:58:41 PM UTC

It was because of the Fights

There were a number of Fights, verbel spars, that happened in the 5th, 10th, and 9th, that I know of. 10th was just minor words being share and booing from either side. 9th was a drag out rant fest between Hackel and Burley, I feel this was more about their fight, that has been brewing and bubbling just beneath the surface in Macomb for years, Sandy also threw in.

5th was what was mention above, unity slate got voted down and there was a fight, about that, not sure what happen wasn't there.

It was clear it was going to get ugly once the voting started on the Floor, Brewer was being classy and trying to stop the blood from flowing, Cryptically said "His not going anywhere" Lon also said something along the line's of "Mark is still going to be here"

So I wonder if some kind of deal was struck between the camps.

Also it was funny watch people abandon the hall, after the announcement, Brewer's people because somewhere upset, and a sit ton of Lon supporter's didn't even stick around to hear him Speak or even for the vote to be actually cast, Says a lot I think, anyway here's to Lon, may he be a good Chair, and Onward to 2014, lets win the House!

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 22:48:41 PM UTC

I was one of those who left during Johnson's speech

Although in my case I have a good excuse: I'm still getting over a nasty cold (don't worry, I didn't breathe on anyone) and was starting to feel woozy, especially after standing in the back of the 9th CD room for what seemed an endless amount of time where it was getting awfully hot (in more ways than one).

Plus, from what I could tell, Johnson's acceptance speech was essentially the same as his campaign speech: Politics of addition, not subtraction; when we lose, bad things happen; when we win, good things happen, etc etc.

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by: Brainwrap @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 23:11:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

5th District fights? Bullshit.

I was in the 5th yesterday from start to finish.  There were no fights. None.  There was a remarkable display of unity.  The unity slate of state central delegates and executive committee members was moved by the UAW and seconded by the MEA.  Supporters of Brewer and supporters of Johnson ended up on the slate.  

Stop spreading lies please.  

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by: LiberalBubba @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 14:09:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

i miss read

the post above when i was on the phone at the convention, small text, so i guess you can cross the 5th off the listen the 10 and 9th did happen, had multiple people tell and talk to be about it.

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 14:58:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

...

LH, why did you down rate my post here, I was admitting i was wrong, and saying i had press misread a post, which i now see was also post by LiberalBubba.

why does that get a 1, should I have just continued to when I was wrong?

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by: Warhawkgundam @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:05:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

uprated to counteract

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by: memiller @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:56:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It is finished

Now, I'm ready to add my name to the signatures to overturn Right-to-Work-(for-Less), and get a non-partisan or bi-partisan redistricting committee.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 01:44:21 AM UTC

In the Anchor bar afterwards, Paul Stevenson said to me,

"Some numbers guy you are, you predicted Lon would win 62% to 38% -- you were off by a whopping 38%!"  :)

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by: memiller @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 03:10:55 AM UTC

Johnson Suporters

I truely hope you bet on the right horse.

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by: scorpio1967 @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 04:46:01 AM UTC

Stop

Stop abusing the rating system, here, you guys.  LH, stop.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 06:58:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Perhaps someone

should lose the ability to rate...

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by: happy camper @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 14:13:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yep

And, he's a coward, to boot.  I'm not sure who he thinks he is, but I'm going to request this ability to taken away from him, or that he is banned altogether and continuing to defy the completely legitimate and set convention about the rating system around here...

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Mon Feb 25, 2013 at 01:29:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

How much worse can Lon be?

Not only do we have the GOP in control of everything in this state, we have the Teapots in control of everything in this state.   Why the MEA supported Brewer is beyond me.  He did nothing to protect our schools, help the recall, fight right to work, or anything else that I can see.  He worked 6 months out of every 24 months and passed on everything else.

I am happy about the change, and I look forward to kicking Snyder and his Teapots from here to Timbuktu.  

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by: dkmich @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 12:25:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Now that I can

get behind. How does a state that sends Dems to the US Senate every time and votes Dem for president every time end up being run by fanatical, bass-ackwards right wingers, who seemingly own the off year elections in MI? How have Republicans held the state Senate for thirty straight years? Why is a state full of Democrats sending a 9R-5D delegation to the House?

There's nowhere to go but up from here.  

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by: happy camper @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 14:22:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Self packing

""How have Republicans held the state Senate for thirty straight years? Why is a state full of Democrats sending a 9R-5D delegation to the House?"""

When democrats are largely clustered in a dozen or so geographic areas, that happens. Wayne County, Southeastern Oakland (and Pontiac/Auburn Hills), Southern Macomb, Marquette, Muskegon, City of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing area, Ann Arbor/Ypsi/neighboring Townships, Flint/Saginaw/Bay City area, Ironwood.

Detroit is about 95-5 Dem. Southfield 88-12. Flint 85-15. Saginaw 80-20. Lansing/East Lansing combined 72-28. Ann Arbor/Ypsi combined 80-20+.

Republicans have some self-pack areas, but outside of a handful of areas, nothing like that.  

"He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security" - Benjamin Franklin

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by: Republican Michigander @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 14:53:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's partly true.

For districts as small as state rep. districts - 90000 people - the population clustering gives Republicans a moderate sized built-in advantage.  For districts that are larger, like Congressional districts, that advantage almost disappears.  At every size, gerrymandering is equally effective.

Nobody can do anything about natural population assorting, but we could do (and should have done) a lot to protect ourselves from gerrymandering.  The Democratic Party has continued to hope it would win the gerrymander war, but they should have surrendered years ago.  All we should want now is a fair system, with lines drawn by neither party.

That's not because we're fair.  It's because we're incompetent.  We'll never win, so we need to stop playing the game.

And we don't need the game, at least as long as the Republican Party is led by Rush Limbaugh and the Koch brothers - we can win elections because we are the majority party.

So I'm all for fairness.

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by: Grebner @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:12:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Very well

written response there Mark. Shorter version (with some exceptions to the rule as always): Republicans have no ethics or morals. We do. It's our virtue and our curse.

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by: MIChange @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:16:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Two names to keep in mind.

Kwame Kilpatrick, and Bill Milliken.  I don't think we have a permanent corner on decency.

It IS true that as long as we're losing, we're much less corrupt.  So we might say the MDP has been raising our ethical standards, kind of like serving an internship with Mother Teresa.

Back in the 1970's, when we rarely lost an election, we became the party of Don Reigle and the Keating Five.

Right now, the Republican Party is about as corrupt and crazy as an American political party can get without self-destruction.  But a few more losses will begin to improve their morals.

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by: Grebner @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:55:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wasn't John McCain one of the Keating Five?

That was back in McCain's pre-maverick days, his born-again right- winger days, and his bitter old man days. In that order.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

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by: Hy Dudgeon @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 17:57:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yup, but he seemed to have been along for the ride.

McCain was the only Republican, and the only one who survived.  If I recall correctly, Keating was from Arizona, and approached McCain not realizing he couldn't deliver much, because the Dems wouldn't share.

McCain was happy to accept whatever he was given, apparently never understanding exactly what was being put together to help Keating, who himself was also a Republican.

These days, a Keating probably wouldn't bother with the Senate; the House is so much more cooperative.

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by: Grebner @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 19:42:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah

That's why I did say there are exceptions to the rule. I was speaking in general. For instance, just look at the reports of the comments made by attendees at each convention. Ours is about inclusion, working together and, yes, defeating Republicans. Theirs are an exercise is self-delusion, hatred and paying respects to their big money men.

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by: MIChange @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 19:44:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The bagpipes were back

Mark Brewer's two bagpipers were the sonic backdrop to the morning caucuses and the afternoon district caucuses. In the middle of our district caucus, with the doors closed, we could follow his progress from one caucus to the next.

He did not use them other years, so it was kind of a conscious book-end with his first Convention victory 18 years ago, previously discussed here. Every time I think of Mark Brewer in the future, I'll hear "Scotland the Brave" in the back of my mind.

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by: memiller @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 12:53:34 PM UTC

Bagpipes - "Scotlandthe Brave"

Except for Detroit's St. Patrick's Parade, the only occasions when I have heard bagpipes have been at funerals. "Bookend," an apt description. Here is a nice version of "Scotland the Brave" with lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
 

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by: p stevenson @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 15:18:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Consider yourself lucky

He didn't offer haggis at a hospitality breakfast.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

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by: Hy Dudgeon @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 17:58:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Classy

I don't think this was an altrustic, "classy" move by Brewer. Please note, this does not mean I think the man is classless. But, to me, classy comes with selflessness. Does anybody think, had Mark Brewer thought he had a chance to win, he would have conceded? Absolutely not.

If anybody would have known how the numbers were coming down, it would have been Brewer. He knew. Most everybody in attendance could see it, too. It was not a move made out of class, but out of eminent pragmatism.

That being said, I was very proud of him and of all of us as Democrats yesterday. I had planned to vote for Lon, but my standing ovation for Mark was sincere and even slightly emotional. My hope is he will work for the DNC, DSCC, DCCC or whatever other Democratic interest group as a high profile attorney. Mark Brewer's contributions to the Democratic Party, including Michigan's, are hopefully far from complete.  

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by: MIChange @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 15:59:31 PM UTC

Seconded!

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by: memiller @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 16:54:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Time to move forward

I saw a lot of folks on Saturday who said they were particpating for the first time.  They should feel energized by the results they wanted.  Others of us should be excited about so many new folks who beleive the way we do.  Time to shake hands and get ready for for the fight in '14.

How do you train for a fight?  You have do a little sparring!  Get involved in the local party and get up to speed on your local elections.  City's have important races this year.  Prevailing wage, marriage equality, collective bargaining, local quality of life.  Use this year to get ready for 2014.

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by: IgnatiusDonnelly @ Mon Feb 25, 2013 at 16:16:18 PM UTC