Michigan is truly a wonderful state and has many things going for it. Beautiful parks, geography, lakes, forests and four actual seasons.
Pumpkins @ Long Family Orchard, Farm & Cider Mill
We also have a strong tradition of innovation, manufacturing, engineering and design.
We make things.
However, our states strong traditions have been under continuous assault from the progressive left for over 60 years. Progressivism has infested business, education and our state government.
We conservatives need to begin the roll back of the progressivism in our state and create a more conservative environment. An environment that is pro-economic growth, more individual freedom and an environment that is rooted in personal responsibility and not an all intrusive nanny state government.
The progressive nanny state ideology has even taken root in the Michigan GOP as evidenced by the selection of Rick Snyder as the Republican candidate for Governor. Snyder is campaigning on many of the same failed policies that our current Governor, Democrat Jennifer Granholm (the worst Governor in America) has been championing for the last eight years.
This is very disappointing to conservatives across the state.
However, as disappointing as the selection of Snyder as the Republican candidate is, looking back, the other choices we were offered, they weren’t too great either.
Trail @ Proud Lake State Park
Going into the ‘home stretch’ of the campaign for Governor, the polls more or less in a three way tie between Cox, Hoekstra and Snyder with Bouchard trailing significantly. Not one of the supposedly more ‘conservative’ candidates i.e. Cox, Bouchard and Hoekstra were Statesmanlike (I know that is a stretch) to drop out of the race or politically astute enough to cut a deal to throw his support behind another candidate. If they were to selfish to not be able to work out an agreement, then they really wouldn’t make good leaders anyway.
So we are left with the Snyder candidacy, and it is turning off many conservatives and they might stay home.
This would be a huge mistake.
Every race in our state is of the utmost importance. If conservatives are going to start turning the corner in our state, we need to send as many progressives, liberals and Democrats home this November as possible.
Not only are there Congressional races where we need to send home Gary Peters, Mark Schauer, John Dingle and their ilk. There is the Secretary of State race between the Soros backed Democrat, Jocelyn Benson and the Republican Ruth Johnson. This is a crucial race. Do we really want a George Soros backed Progressive running our state elections?
Not only do we need to send liberals home, we must also protect the conservatives we do have such as Congressmen Thaddeus McCotter and Mike Rodgers.
Proud Lake
It is not going to be easy voting for Snyder however, his opponent Virg “The Angriest Mayor in America” Bernero is an avowed Progressive and union toady. Not exactly what Michigan needs.
Conservatives need to find out just how tough our Nerd is. We need to hold his feet to the fire and advance our agenda. If he doesn’t respond, we must to identify and support a true Conservative insurgent candidate for governor in 2014.
I know what you’re saying my friend, but the lesser of 2 evils is still evil. Each shade of evil brings its own unique set of problems. It can be done peacefully if enough people really wanted it, but the only solution we have is to overthrow the system at this point. For the first time in my life, I’ve given up on voting. I mean, for what? To support evil?
The “right people” aren’t enough, the whole system is corrupt. We need to decide all over again who owns this country, the government or the people? Because it can’t be both.
I applaud you Steve for bringing attention to the local level. I definitely understand where you are coming from. The conservatives might not have the best choices this time around, but it’s a marathon not a sprint. You might lose this battle in the governor’s race, but there are plenty of other skirmishes to be won and we need to win them. The only way we can win them is to get out and vote. This is not a war that will be won over night, but one that will be won over many elections cycles. It is an ideological war of attrition that we must win if we hope to save the Republic. If conservatives want to turn this around we must be willing to swallow our conservative pride and vote even when a lesser evil is running. The key is winning the skirmishes and those skirmishes are in the city, county, and state level. If we win enough skirmishes, we will win the war my friend. CL is right when he says it is time for us to decide who owns the country the government or the people. The only way short of a civil war that we can make that decision is through the voting process. Great post.
I absolutely REFUSE to subscribe to the “lesser of two evils” argument!
By all means, vote this November.
But I can’t stress this fact enough, there are candidates for offices that the MSM feels you do not need to know about. A listing can be found at this link.
http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/candlist/10GEN/10GEN_CL.HTM
For the record, based on their actions to date, there are no fundamental differences between Synder or Bernero. I fully expect Snyder to take, what he’ll most likely label as pragmatic, approach to addressing next year’s already $1.6-billion deficit (i.e. raise taxes).
And if you want candidate whom you will not be “holding your nose” when you vote, I highly recommend checking out this candidate.
http://www.staceymathia2010.com/
I have looked at Stacey Mathia’s platform on your previous recommendation and I love what she stands for and I lover her agenda.
By no stretch of the imagination am I a Michigan political guru. But, I think I follow Michigan politics closer than the average voter. Having said that, I had never seen her (or Ken Proctor- Libertarian) name until you pointed me in her direction. I doubt many other people have as well. This lack of name recognition is going to prevent her her and Ken Proctor’s from doing well in November.
This lack of name recognition is not entirely the MSM’s fault. Going forward we are going to be the media. To my knowledge, Stacy nor Ken have not aggressively engaged the blog-o-sphere. How hard is it to set up an on line forum, hold web chats or send out e-mail blasts to Conservative bloggers? Then we can help get the message out.
I wish I was a better writer since an underlying point didn’t make it out in my post. There are many important races besides the Governors race and if many Conservatives stay home because they are unhappy with Snyder (like I am) and we could lose a close race that would be a shame.
Thanks for your comment and please stop by again.
Conservatives have been running on that strategery for 80 years now. Hasn’t worked yet. How many more times should we bang our heads against the wall? It’s fun!
She’s a lot better than the 2 main candidates, that’s for sure!
I know the “don’t vote” and “they all suck” mantras sound negative, but they really aren’t. It’s about facing reality … In the real world there isn’t a dimes bit of difference between the 2 evils. It’s our imaginations that make us believe otherwise.
I think the Tea Party is changing the 80 year old stratergy by putting up Conservative candidates in Republican primaries and win or lose I think it is sending market signals to our Representatives that if they ignore conservative principles they will get tossed out on their ass next.
CL I don’t think conservatives should just sit home because they have a candidate that is less than perfect. They still need to get out and vote for the solid conservatives that are out there. I’m not saying they need to vote for a RINO. I’m saying they need to stay enthusiastic and vote for the good solid conservatives running. I could have worded it better but that was my intention of the statement. This is a marathon and it is going to take time to purge the RINOs but we will succeed and purge them out. But staying home because you are disappointed that one your party’s candidate is a RINO is not the answer. We need to win the skirmishes.
No candidate is perfect. If I vote, I’ll vote straight-ticket libertarian. At least I can pretend I said something. Electing a RINO is not a “win” in any meaningful sense of the word. I’m not anti-Democrat. I’m anti-State!
Big difference.
Actually, I did get where you were going.
And my point was that, yes, there are other candidates to be aware of.
Case in point, here in Macomb County, we have the current sheriff running for the newly created post of county exec.
The match-up is between a democrat (Hackel, spending money like crazy), a “republican” (Shafer, who ran on “a whim” against another candidate who put a lot of time, effort and money into the primary), and a Libertarian (Stahl).
Guess who is getting the majority of the local press?
Let me guess. Not the Libertarian.
I have just affiliated with the Conservative Party USA, Inc. I have been appointed Chairman of the Michigan Party. Interested parties may visit:
http://www.conservativepartymi.org/ (Our affiliated site)
or
http://www.conservatives-usa.com/ (My local discussion site)
We are looking to fill many volunteer positions throughout the state of Michigan.