Demas and Finley Want A "Rockstar" Governor...But Where In The HELL Did That Get Michigan Previously?!

In a recent column, Inside Michigan Politics Publisher Susan Demas blasted Governor Snyder, assailing him as "One Smug Nerd," writing:

"For years, Democrats offered up tone-deaf eggheads who ooze off-putting moral superiority, like Mike Dukakis or Al Gore. They were mercilessly parodied on Saturday Night Live. 

Even if voters agreed with them on many issues, they couldn't relate to them. And they lost. Why Team Snyder thinks this new One Smug Nerd routine will resonate in the Rust Belt is baffling."

Snyder made it absolutely clear from the beginning in 2010 that the polished "happy talk" from career politicians Michigan voters were used to hearing from had ruined us. Snyder declared the gameplaying of the Granholm era was over, it was time for something new, it was "time for a nerd."  

Michiganders agreed, electing him Governor in a historic, landslide victory. 

(Demas makes her point, but the politics of a Michigan gubernatorial race in which the incumbent is seeking re-election are far different from a national race for President in which there is no incumbent. Also, for the record, I think she's a fantastic columnist and am excited to see what she does with IMP!)

In a interesting twist, Demas cites RICK SANTORUM of all people as one Snyder could learn from!

Santorum

"Let's not forget that Rick Santorum nearly upset Michigan native Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential primary. One reason was that Santorum tapped into the anger of Michiganders left behind in the new economy.

In a fiery campaign appearance in Troy, Santorum noted "some people have incredible gifts with their hands" and bludgeoned President Obama for being a "snob" who just didn't get it.

The audience ate it up.

These voters will be key in this year's gubernatorial race."

Demas once BLASTED Santorum  for the EXACT same style she now says SNYDER SHOULD EMULATE!

Demas, writing in a 2012 column entitled "How Rick Santorum proved that he doesn't have what it takes to be president," wrote:

"When you have decided to denigrate the value of a college education as a cheap ploy to win votes in one of the most depressed states in the country, you don't deserve to be president.

It's really that simple. 

And I certainly hope that all the Republican business leaders and politicians who laud higher education as the only path to a middle-class existence were listening to the bile that spurted from Rick Santorum's mouth on Saturday at the San Marino Club.

"President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college," Santorum declared. "What a snob. Not all folks are gifted the same way. Some people have incredible gifts with their hands." 

At that point, my daughter's head snapped up and she exclaimed, "That guy's crazy."

Now I don't know if the former Pennsylvania senator really believes his own bunk. But what I do know is that Rick Santorum, esquire, is a hypocrite. He holds a whole serious of fancy, book-learnin' degrees -- a B.A. from Penn State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. from Dickinson School of Law. 

No one seems eager to note that it's kind of snobby for a guy with three higher degrees who makes about $1 million a year to tell the unwashed masses that it's cool for their kiddies to work at Wal-Mart for the rest of their lives."

So WHY IN THE HELL would Snyder now want to emulate THAT?! Interesting... 

Santorum was indeed more lively than his "CEO" opponent, Mitt Romney-but that didn't win him Michigan, nor the Republican nomination in Tampa-for a multitude of reasons...

Also, Santorum's impressive showing was due just as much to being more charismatic than Romey (not hard to do) as it did with the anti-Romney voters coalescing around him, and Democrats like MARK SCHAUER voting in the Republican primary for Santorum!

 That effort was led by Democrat Joe DiSano, who coordinated Democrat crossover in favor of Santorum. DiSano is one of Michigan's top political strategists. 

Worth noting: Demas actually praised Governor Snyder in comparison to Santorum, writing:

"Let's just consider for a moment the mental gymnastics it would take for Gov. Snyder -- a man who finished his B.A., M.B.A. and J.D. in only six years -- to give a throaty endorsement to Rick "College is for Snobs" Santorum.

Demas also claims that "Snyder has avoided debates with his opponent, Democrat Mark Schauer, which looks weak."

Snyder has actually ACCEPTED Schauer's challenge for a debate, but Schauer insists it takes place during the evening-a problem easily solved by taping the debate.  

"Gov. Snyder offered two dates and times to debate in front of the Detroit Economic Club two weeks ago," Snyder campaign spokeswoman Emily Benavides said in a statement. "The ball is in Congressman Schauer's court. We look forward to discussing the issues facing Michiganders and are proud of our record."

In the culmination of her column, Demas writes:

"Snyder is not exactly a man of the people. He's most comfortable lecturing folks from afar like the former CEO he is.

Schauer may not have the folksy charm of George W. Bush, but he can comfortably don the plaid shirt for the parade circuit. He revels in going door-to-door and talking with people.

There's a reason why Nolan Finley, editor of the conservative Detroit News editorial page, recently penned a savage rebuke to Snyder, brutalizing him as being as "dull as a valiumed-up dental patient."

Conservatives are begging Snyder to metamorphose from a CPA into a street-fighter, stat.

But is it already too late?"

Maybe the reason is because Mr. Finley forgot about the Granholm era and the damage Michigan endured.

 Finley, in addition to his cheap shot on the Governor's personality, wrote:

"Snyder’s response is a somnambulist commercial in which he comes across as dull as a valiumed-up dental patient with a message eerily reminiscent of Granholm’s infamous “in five years, you’ll be blown away” pledge."

Mr. Finley must have forgotten that Granholm made that infamous declaration at a State of the State address and never delivered. 

Contrary to Garnholm's failed record, Governor Snyder has spearheaded many positive changes that are making Michigan better. It sounds like Nolan Finley suffers from "Gramnesia."

Demas and Finley seem to want a "rockstar" Governor... A governor who revels in constant media interviews and "kissing babies," one who gets "fired up" all the time. A governor great at grandstanding and giving speeches big on rhetoric-who cares if they're backed by results?

After all, both Demas and Finley ackowledge Schauer is lying about Snyder supposedly cutting education funding, but they basically say, "who gives a damn-he looks good doing it!" 

He is not perfect, and he is not the "rock star" breed of politician President Obama is-or Gov. Granholm was-but where the hell did those folks get us? 

The reason some people in both parties immensely hate Snyder is the reason he will be re-elected: he is an independent thinker with a mind of his own, trying to do the best job he can despite the "haters."

Snyder doesn't fit the molds they want to promulgate. He's not "Rick Santorum," he's not a smooth talker easily defined by a headline or a thirty second sound bite...

I am more of a "Ron Paul" guy, but Snyder never claimed to be. If he had, I might be upset. Snyder "kept it real from the jump" as Drake might say, he said from the beginning he was an independent-thinking nerd with a plan to turn Michigan around after a decade of decline.

He has delivered. 

Michigan "started from the bottom, now we're here," and there's still more work to do. 

But we are better off than we were four years ago.

• Unemployment is down from over 14% under Granholm to around 7%.
• Personal income is up.
• Michigan's population is growing.
• Poverty is declining.
• Detroit is FINALLY being held accountable, and with a little tough love, they are coming back slowly but surely!
• Workers can't be forced to join a union anymore. 
• Granholm and Schauer's driver responsibility fees are gone-and so is the disastrous, job-killing MBT. 
• 1800 useless regulations have been repealed.

AND education spending has INCREASED-even if Mark Schauer won't admit it.