While it's possible that it will fade as Ross Perot's Reform Party did after its 1996 founding, the tea party movement, which has a similar grassroots spirit, is an energetic, growing political force these days across the nation.
Examples abound in Michigan — most recently at the Republican State Convention, where tea partiers challenged gubernatorial nominee Rick Snyder's choice of a running mate but then fell in line behind state Rep. Brian Calley.
Tea partiers had considerable influence in state races, including the victory of Crystal Falls surgeon Dan Benishek in the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee.
Here's a surprise: Among those involved in some recent tea party meetings and activities is ex-Republican Michigan Supreme Court Justice Betty Weaver, who rocked Lansing by resigning her seat in an arrangement that led to Granholm naming Democratic Court of Appeals Judge Alton Davis, of Grayling, as her replacement. He's moving into her Traverse City office and taking on some of her staff.
After her resignation, Weaver joined a bus trip of tea party and other community activists to attend the recent Washington, D.C., rally organized by Fox News personality Glenn Beck. She called the event "very enlightening."
While Weaver is disenchanted with both parties — "at the top, the parties are a mess" — she is high on Snyder: "I do believe he's the hope. ... We need his kind of leadership to cut through all of the baloney."
An organizer of the Michigan-to-D.C. bus trip was Jason Gillman, a Traverse City businessman who sells security cameras, candidate for the Grand Traverse County Commission and the voice of rightmichigan.com. He said, "I'm hard-core right."
While Weaver and Gillman did not discuss the matter on the trip, Gillman raises constitutional questions about whether Davis qualifies for the ballot as an incumbent because his appointment came before a filing deadline. Weaver said that's not a problem because Davis is now nominee of the Democratic Party.
Gillman also said another candidate could challenge Davis' qualifications for incumbent designation on the ballot, but it's uncertain whether such a challenge will be raised.
Listen to Liz
For decades, reporters have done that as Liz Boyd has served effectively as press secretary to Democrat Granholm and before that for Republican Secretary of State Candice Miller.
Last week, reacting to "what I consider to be partisan criticism" of Granholm's appointment of Davis, she noted favorable comments that Republican officeholders have made about Davis. Some were about Davis in earlier years.
Among reactions to the Supreme Court appointment, she cited 13th Circuit Court Judge Philip E. Rodgers Jr.: "I'm elated at the decision. ... He really has been a leader among the judiciary."
In 2005, after Granholm named Davis to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, of Kewadin, now a House Republican Leader and current contender for a district judgeship, applauded the appointment and called Davis "fair, balance, and extremely knowledgeable."
Back when ex-Congressman Bill Schuette was on the court, he wrote Granholm that Davis "would make a fine judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. I hope this recommendation doesn't hurt."
That, of course, was before Schuette's recent nomination as the Republican candidate for attorney general.
Top-gun Dem defects
Chris DeWitt, a top media gun for Granholm, Sen. Carl Levin, ex-Attorney General Frank Kelley, Lt. Gov. John Cherry and other Democrats has signed on with Snyder.
"Lansing is broken and Rick is a proven jobs creator who has the best plan to turn our state around," DeWitt said in the announcement.
When I called DeWitt about this shocker, he was not specific about what part of Lansing is broken but he reminded me that months ago, while talking politics at a northern pub, we talked about Snyder. Our waitress, when he asked, said she liked what she had heard about "the nerd," whose name she did not recall.
All in the family
It is common in politics for a candidate's family to play key roles in campaigns, especially in the early stages.
The chief helpmate on the 1948 campaign that started Democratic Gov. G. Mennen Williams on the road to an unprecedented six two-year terms was his wife, Nancy, who drove their DeSoto convertible on the trail and handled many other chores.
Wives and daughters of some of this year's gubernatorial candidates were featured in TV ads and other campaign pitches.
Early in his quest for the GOP nomination for the 1st District seat to be vacated by Stupak, surgeon Benishek relied on his wife, Judy, to help coordinate events and respond to calls from constituents and members of the media.
Now that he is the nominee in a high-profile contest, his son, Mick, is campaign manager, and nephew, Trent Benishek, is campaign press secretary. Among volunteers on the phone bank is brother Tim. Helping at parades is daughter Kirby, a veteran with five years of active duty including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Navy petty officer aboard the carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
Said the candidate: "Running for office is a uniquely demanding experience, and as I travel the 1st District — one of the largest in the country — it is encouraging to be surrounded by those people who mean the most to me."
George Weeks, a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of fame, for 22 years was the political columnist for The Detroit News and previously was with UPI as Lansing Bureau Chief and foreign editor in Washington. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.
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