This far in advance of the 2010 gubernatorial election, it's way too early to attach great significance to polls or the ever-expanding cast of those flirting with running. In the end, most won't.
As of this writing, the media are mentioning about 20 prospects, about equally divided by party. But some are serious enough to have exploratory committees, including Lt. Gov. John Cherry, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Attorney General Mike Cox.
Cherry is running and is clearly the early frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Cox and Land, who are term-limited, as is Gov. Jennifer Granholm, have the highest visibility among Republicans, along with Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
Although no way is it a forecast of what is to come, there are some things worthy of note in a poll released March 13 by newsletter Inside Michigan Politics (IMP), which commissioned a poll of 600 registered voters conducted by Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group (MRG):
-- Among Republicans, Patterson at 22 percent was the top choice for the nomination, followed by U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, of Holland, with 17 percent. Surprisingly, Cox trailed with 15 percent, and Land with 12 percent.
What it indicates is that in a crowded primary, Patterson, with a solid base in Metro Detroit , and Hoekstra, with one in the GOP stronghold of west Michigan, could be highly competitive.
-- Among Democrats, Cherry is the overwhelming favorite among those who have an early choice. But 57 percent don't.
-- Especially worthy of note: All three of the top GOP names outpolled Cherry -- Cox by seven points, Land by five and Patterson by four. Is Granholm an albatross for Cherry?
MRG President Tom Shields told The Detroit News: "Republicans haven't won many statewide races in the past decade, but Lt. Gov. Cherry may have a tough time shaking the negative effects of serving as lieutenant governor during eight tough economic years. While we are still 19 months from the 2010 elections, the race for governor is shaping up as a real battle."
Snyder a sleeper?
"Rick who?" was my reaction to an announcement last week that Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder, a Republican who has helped others but has not run for office, is forming an exploratory committee about running for governor.
Here's who: He's a former president of the Gateway computer company that during his 1990s tenure with various responsibilities went from a $600 million company to one with revenues in excess of $6 billion; first chairman of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; 2000 co-founder and CEO of Ardesta, one of the nation's largest investment firms focused on micro and nanotechnology companies; and currently founding chairman of the economic development organization for the Ann Arbor region.
In the Ann Arbor News, Snyder voiced what likely would be a campaign theme: "It's time for an alternative to traditional politicians. They haven't produced great results."
In his announcement, Snyder, a 50-year-old father of three, said that if he runs, he would "do so in such a way that we end the politics-as-usual approach Michigan has grown so tired of."
He said he was "putting together the best team of advisers this state and country has to offer." His senior national consultant is John Weaver, longtime (1998-2007) adviser to presidential contender John McCain. His lead state consultant is John Yob, a Grand Rapids political strategist who has had similar roles in the two successful campaigns of Secretary of State Land and was deputy national political director of McCain's 2008 campaign.
Yob calls Snyder a "dream candidate" -- a southeast Michigan businessman who knows how to create jobs and has resources for a well-funded campaign.
I would not put Snyder in the just-flirting category.
Congressional clout
Michigan has economic grief on the home front but it still has the fourth most powerful congressional delegation despite a big loss on Capitol Hill and the defeat of a veteran lawmaker. The three northern congressmen have key roles.
"Michigan's delegation remains one of the most senior and powerful in the country," the Hill newspaper Roll Call noted last week in releasing its biennial ranking that placed Michigan behind California, New York and Texas.
That's despite the ouster of 28-term Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, as chairman of the all-powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. As the longest-serving member in House history, he still has great weight to throw for Michigan.
Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield, who gained House influence in his 16 years there, was defeated last year.
Roll Call noted the seniority of others, including 10-term Dave Camp, of Midland, ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee; nine-term Pete Hoekstra, of Holland, Ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee; and nine-term Democrat Bart Stupak, of Menominee, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.
Stupak is a high-visibility whistleblower on many hot issues of the day, including food and drug safety.
Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan's longest-serving senator, chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee and also is prominent on oversight issues, including gas prices.
Welcome (sort of) to Wisconsin
Wisconsin is Michigan's main competitor for Midwest tourism dollars, and that state's spending on tourism promotion has dwarfed ours in recent years. So it is surprising that Wisconsin plans to stop staffing its eight welcome centers, including one at the Michigan border on US-51 near Ironwood.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism says it needs to cut $1.7 million from its budget over the next two years, and people are increasingly getting travel information from the state's travel Web site and other Internet outlets.
The Ironwood Daily Globe, with readers on both sides of the border, noted in a Mar. 5 editorial that Wisconsin's tourism industry contributes $13 billion to the state economy, and is the lifeblood of many northern Wisconsin communities.
Let's hope our Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which operates welcome centers and rest areas visited by 42 million people annually, would never consider something so shortsighted.
Steve Yencich, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging & Tourism Association, said he's confident that MDOT "understands the importance of our Welcome Centers," but if such a proposal surfaced here, "the whole travel industry would be united and strong in opposition."
George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.
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