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Posts Tagged ‘Mike Cox’

Wonder what you would find if you frisked the latest Rasmussen Report poll regarding the Michigan GOP Primary for governor?

Answer: U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra continues to lead the group of Republican gubernatorial hopefuls in Michigan.

Rasmussen reports:

Source: Rasmussen Report.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey in the state shows nearly one-out-of-three primary voters (32%) still undecided.

Businessman Rick Snyder has 14% support this month, down four points from a month ago, while state Attorney General Mike Cox again earns 13% of the vote. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard edges up to nine percent (9%). Five percent (5%) of primary voters prefer some other candidate.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of GOP conservatives in the state favor Hoekstra, while 38% of self-designated liberals in the party prefer Snyder. Moderates have no clear favorite.

The GOP may benefit from the fact that a Democrat is currently Governor of the state at a time when just 6% rate the economy as good or excellent. According to a recent Associated Press report, Michigan has had the highest unemployment rate in the country for the past four years, with a 14.1 percent rate in March. Most Michigan voters also want to repeal the recently-passed national health care plan.

According to the latest Rasmussen Report survey (above) of 481 likely Republican Primary voters, it is clear that U.S. Rep. Hoekstra is currently the GOP favorite, but will his momentum carry into the month of August? It will be interesting to see since the U.S. Congress has an approval rating of 23% and – thanks to Democrats – many Americans seem skeptical about national politicians.

After finally making an appearance in the poll numbers in March – thanks to his ‘One Tough Nerd‘ Super Bowl advertisement – Businessman Rick Snyder‘s numbers appear to be falling back toward the rest of the Republican candidates (Mike Bouchard and Mike Cox).

Mike Bouchard – who Frisk A Liberal.com endorses – just released his first state-wide television advertisement last Thursday (April 22, 2010), so it will be interesting to see how it will affect his numbers in next month’s poll. Will it give him a boost of political momentum similar to Rick Snyder’s? I guess only time will tell. In the meantime, you can donate to his campaign by clicking here.

Overall, at the end of the day it will not be about the poll numbers… It will be about which candidate can grab the enthusiasm of Michiganders to get them out and vote in the August 3rd Primary?

As for Republicans versus Democrats though? Republicans still maintain a slight edge over Democrats according to the latest Rasmussen Report:

Source: Rasmussen Report.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Michigan finds an unnamed generic Republican candidate for governor picking up 41% of the vote, while an unnamed generic Democratic candidate earns 36% support. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while 18% of likely voters in the state remain undecided.

[...]

Male voters favor the Republican candidate by 13 points, while the candidates break even among female voters.

Voters not affiliated with either of the major parties prefer the Republican by a 36% to 16% margin, but over one-third (35%) of these voters are still undecided.

Although the Republican Party still maintains the lead in Michigan, we cannot start slacking now. 2010 is the year to turn Michigan back into a red-state!

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GOP Gubernatorial Debate.

Wonder what you would find if you frisked the first Michigan Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Debate?

Answer: Great discourse about cutting Michigan’s budget and taxes mixed with some political fireworks.

The State News reports:

The early focus of the debate was fostering a better business climate in Michigan, which Bouchard said revolved around lowering and simplifying taxes for citizens and companies.

“Our taxpayers, our citizens have left,” Bouchard said. “We cannot ask them for more because they cannot give it. We’re sending them across the border every time we ask.”

Cox, the Michigan Attorney General since 2002, said the state needs to expand tax breaks similar to the system devised in 2008 to bring more film businesses to Michigan.

[...]

When the debate shifted to the recently passed health care legislation and its impact on Michigan, the candidates found a common ground.

Hoekstra, a vocal opponent in Washington, D.C., said “Obamacare” needed to be scrapped.

Cox, who championed his lawsuit against the federal government challenging the constitutionality of a federal health care mandate, said he would “undo the lack of focus on cost.”

Snyder also agreed that health care needs to be reformed, but added he’s not sure if suing the federal government is the best course of action.

[...]

The debate often shifted back to Michigan’s economy, which all agreed needed an emphasis on building more jobs and encouraging college graduates to stay in the state.

“When I graduated, I knew there’d be a quality job waiting for me,” said Bouchard, an MSU alumnus.
“That is not the case today. Every day these problems aren’t fixed, another family, another child leaves this state, and that’s not acceptable. I will fix that. This must be about the next generation and not the next election.”

Overall, I thought it was an informative first debate and I had a great attending the event. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the debate posted on the internet, but I will keep looking and hopefully I will have it up on the blog for you within the near future.

Here’s my opinion on who won last night’s debate:

  • Winner: Mike Bouchard – You could tell that he was well-versed on the issues, because he did not slip up, mumble, or stutter once throughout the intense debate. Also, he was able to relate to the viewers and quickly propose solutions – stemming from his past experience – that will eventually rebuild Michigan.
  • 2nd: Tom George – He came into the debate as the underdog and I must admit that I underestimated him. When the moderator listed off the first question, he quickly jumped to his points using a lot of enthusiasm that made the other candidates seem quiet. Overall, he did a great job, but all his talks about having a Michigan Constitutional Convention tuned me out.
  • 3rd: Pete Hoekstra/Rick Snyder - Going into the debate, I thought Hoekstra was going to do a great job, but he came across – in my opinion – as a so-so candidate. Perhaps it was just the debate setting, but he seemed dual and appeared to be a deer in the highlights as he gathered his thoughts at certain points during the debate. As for Snyder, I got really annoyed with his repetitive “career politicians” tagline. Granted, it was great to start off with that argument, but it got odd pretty quickly. Although he’s a successful businessman, it takes an experienced knowledge in government to work with both parties in order to get legislation passed. Also, the last two Republican candidates Michigan had running for governor against Jennifer Granholm were successful businessmen. Part of me cautiously asks: If Snyder wins the Republican Primary, will a third time be the charm?
  • 4th: Mike CoxUnfortunately there is something about Mike Cox that just radiates a negative vibe. He started off the debate doing quite well, but his constant reference back to his “62 page plan” got old. Personally, when I am at a debate, I want to get a sense of what each candidate is about. I do not want to go read a book online – using my free time – to find out if I ‘like’ a candidate or not. Overall, it was the constant attacks on the other candidates during the second half of the debate that put Cox into last place. Blogger evidence: Let’s not tear down the Republican Party before the primaries, because the Democrats will try to do plenty of that this fall.

Great debate! I cannot wait until the next one!

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Wonder what you would find if you frisked the Fairchild Theatre on the campus of Michigan State University on April 21, 2010 at 7pm?

Answer: The first Michigan Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Debate!

…And you know your’s truly – Mac from FriskAliberal.com – will be there!

The Detroit News reports:

Five GOP candidates for governor — Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Attorney General Mike Cox, state Sen. Tom George of Kalamazoo, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Holland and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder — will participate.

“This is a critical election and it is important residents across the state have a clear understanding of the vision and ideas each candidate has as they prepare to vote in August and November,” said Ron Weiser, chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

The candidates will respond to questions from a panel of reporters.

According to a document I received from the Michigan GOP, the debate will begin at 7pm and run to 8pm. It will also be broadcast live on WLNS (Lansing CBS affiliate). The moderators for the debate will be Dave Ackerly (from WLNS) and Kathy Barks Hoffman (from the Associated Press).

REMINDER: The debate is a ticketed event, and you must have a ticket for admission to the Theatre. If you didn’t receive your ticket in advance, you may pick it up at the MRP Ticket Will Call located in the lobby of the Theatre. Tickets are not transferable.

Updates will show up on Frisk A Liberal.com after the event!

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On Saturday night (April 10, 2010), I attended the Tea Party located on the steps of the Capitol in downtown Lansing, Michigan. After making a stop in Grand Rapids, The Tea Party Express managed to make an appearance to energize the crowd of 1,000-1,500. Overall, it was another great and peaceful Tea Party with a large number of concerned Americans/Michiganders in attendance.

When I first arrived, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Bouchard was giving a fiery speech to the crowd during the Tea Party Express rally that definitely stirred up an incredible amount of enthusiasm. Later on in the evening, Mike Bouchard and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox took the podium once again to blast the idea of massive government spending and other major political issues.

QUESTION: Hey liberals, how much do you like my new “Don’t Tread On Me” t-shirt? :lol:

Props to all the patriots that made it out to the rally Saturday!

Reminder: Videos from the event will be added later on this evening.

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Wonder what you would find if you frisked the latest news coming from Michigan’s gubernatorial campaign trail?

Answer: Republican candidate Mike Cox picked up an endorsement from Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who ran for president in 2008.

Hmm… Interesting. Mlive reports:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Cox has picked up an endorsement from Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who ran for president in 2008.

In a statement released Wednesday by Cox’s campaign, Huckabee describes the Michigan attorney general as a “pro-life, pro-gun candidate.”

Huckabee says Cox is an innovative, strong leader who opposes “runaway tax and spend policies.”

Huckabee was Arkansas governor from 1996-2007 and unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination two years ago.

Click here if you would like to read the full press release on Mike Cox’s website.

To be honest, this announcement is quite shocking to me, because I find them both polar opposites. The reasons why Mike Huckabee is endorsing Mike Cox makes complete sense, but they are also strong political points of view that every other Republican candidate running for Michigan’s next governor shares. Over the years, Huckabee has been a strong believer in family values, which is a hard argument to make for Mike Cox supporters. It would be interesting to hear Huckabee elaborate more on why he chose to endorse Mike Cox. Overall, Huckabee’s endorsement definitely shakes up the political scene here in my home state of Michigan and gives the Cox campaign a much needed boost of momentum.

Remember…

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Wonder what you would find if you frisked the latest Rasmussen poll regarding the 2010 election for Michigan’s next Governor?

Answer: Republican candidates are still holding strong.

Michigan Republicans have a very busy year ahead of them! Term-limited Governor Jennifer Granholm is done at the end of the year and multiple Republican candidates have an early lead over the likeliest Democratic candidates.

Check out the latest numbers:

So far, so good…

Rasmussen Reports has the latest:

The most recent Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds GOP hopefuls Mike Bouchard, Mike Cox and Peter Hoekstra earning 40% to 45% of the vote in all but one of the match-ups against each of their potential opponents.

Democrats Virg Bernero, Andy Dillon, Denise Ilitch and Alma Wheeler Smith pick up anywhere from 28% to 36% of the vote in those match-ups.

Hoekstra, a longtime U.S. congressman, runs slightly stronger among the GOP contenders.

Among the Democrats, Dillon, the speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, runs most competitively. Against Cox, the state attorney general, in fact, Dillon runs virtually even, with 36% of the vote to his GOP foe’s 35%. (See toplines and crosstabs.)

Both parties will pick their candidates in August 3 primaries.

[...]

Among the GOP hopefuls, Bouchard. the sheriff of Oakland County, is viewed very favorably by seven percent (7%) of Michigan voters and very unfavorably by six percent (6%). For Cox, very favorables total 14% and very unfavorables 13%. Eighteen percent (18%) have a very favorable opinion of Hoekstra, while 13% view him very unfavorably.

On the Democratic side, Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, is seen very favorably by six percent (6%) and very unfavorably by 11%. Six percent (6%) have a very favorable view of Dillon, while 13% view him very unfavorably.

Very favorables for Ilitch, a Detroit businesswoman and lawyer, total 17%, her very unfavorables 14%. For Wheeler Smith, a member of the Michigan House, very favorables are 12% and very unfavorables 19%.

So far, it is looking good for Republicans and in reality it’s their race to lose. Within the past couple months – after Lieutenant Governor John Cherry dropped out of the race – Democrats have been playing catch-up. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the May 15th deadline to collect 15,000 signatures to have their name on the ballot during the primaries is creeping around the corner.

In my opinion, the Republican candidates need to step their game up and get more enthusiasm out there to the general public. Another GOP hopeful – business entrepreneur Rick Snyder – released a Super Bowl advertisement in order to get his name out there and create some buzz. It will be interesting to see if his name pops up on the next Rasmussen poll.

Good luck Republicans and may the best Conservative win!

Side-Note: Shortly after this poll was conducted, Denise Ilitch officially announced that she will not enter the race, but former state Treasurer Bob Bowman is preparing to file papers to form an exploratory committee for governor.

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Let's hope not...

Wonder what you would find if you frisked Michigan after 4 more years of Democratic control?

Answer: Yikes… Let’s not find out!

It’s good to see that the GOP of Michigan has released a political advertisement highlighting some of the huge problems that have occurred under Governor Jennifer Granholm and Lieutenant Governor John Cherry’s watch. Beyond the talking points displayed in the advertisement, I don’t think it’s very effective. Sorry GOP of Michigan, but it doesn’t pop out or capture the attention of the viewer. Perhaps some narration or better use of the photos in the background would of made it a little better. Since the gubernatorial election isn’t until fall 2010, I’m going to assume that this advertisement isn’t even going to be shown on television. Therefore, if this is an attempt at creating a viral advertisement meant for viewers to send to their friends over the internet, blogs, and email… I don’t think they hit their target.

In better news:

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Michigan voters finds Cherry, the top Democrat in the race, trailing two of his potential GOP rivals by double digits and a third by five points.

Congressman Peter Hoekstra is the strongest Republican hopeful at this juncture, beating Cherry by 14 points – 46% to 32%. Six percent (6%) prefer another candidate, and 16% are undecided.

In a match-up with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Cherry is the loser 42% to 32%. Again, six percent (6%) like someone else in the race. Undecideds rise to 20%.

The race is slightly closer when the lieutenant governor is pitted against state Attorney General Mike Cox. In that match-up, Cox wins 39% to 34%. Nine percent (9%) favor some other candidate, and 17% are not sure whom they’ll vote for.

Although the poll numbers are looking good, the excitement for a conservative victory in 2010 for Michigan isn’t on the same scale as the national level. Therefore, the Republican candidates must keep up the good work and look for new ways to gain more momentum, because there’s still a LONG way to go.

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Mike Bouchard (running for MI governor) and Myself.

Mike Bouchard (running for MI Governor) and Myself.

Sec. Terri Lynn Land (running for Lt. Governor) and Myself.

Sec. Terri Lynn Land (running for Lt. Governor) and Myself.

BUSY WEEKEND.

I wasn’t able to update Frisk A Liberal with anything new over the weekend – if anyone cared to notice, haha. I decided to drive up north and attend the 2009 Michigan Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, MI. It was definitely a great experience and lots of fun.

Candidates running for Governor included: Mike Bouchard, Rick Snyder, Mike Cox, Peter Hoekstra, and Tom George.

Other Republicans that attended: Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and John Engler.

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BouchardLand2

Mike Bouchard, who is running for Governor of Michigan, chose Secretary Terri Lynn Land to be his running mate as Lt. Governor. This is one strong dynamic duo!

Look out Rick Snyder and Mike Cox.

Check out Michigan’s Republican candidates here:

Side-note: Frisk A Liberal (that’d be myself) has not endorsed anyone yet.

*UPDATE: Check out this local newscast related to this story:

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