Michigan may be last chance for pursuers to derail Kerry

[Feanorcurufinwe]

"I'm impressed," said Grand Rapids social worker Cathy Heath, 54, as she watched election results Tuesday with Kerry supporters at the Radisson North in Grand Rapids. "He has the ability and the presence and the stature. I think he's got it all. He's got the momentum."

Political analysts agree.

Michigan, they say, might be the last best chance for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean to knock Kerry off track.

"Michigan is the kind of place where Dean should do well," said Calvin College political science professor Doug Koopman. "He's more of a populist. He can fire up people and union members. If he can't do well in Michigan, he's just not going to make it."

<snip>

"If Edwards can really produce results down South, then he could do something in Michigan," said Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, a Lansing political newsletter. "Dean still has the money to do something."

But if Kerry wins Michigan handily, Ballenger said, "that could pretty well do it for him."
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1075305398202850.xml

[mikehiggins]

1. Don't forget Uncle Al, the people's pal

Detroit's in Michigan, right?

I don't think anybody's going to win Michigan "handily"

There's going to be blood on the floor before that bar closes.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Did you think Kerry would win NH and IA handily?

[blm]

2. Michigan is going Kerry.

.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. blm I would have to disagree. Coming from a union family, they

are not yet impressed with him. He's got a lot of catch up to do here. A lot of union people feel as if he has forgotten that they are losing jobs more rapidly than anywhere else, that NAFTA is turning this state into a ghost state. My mother in law is still unemployed and will be into the forseeable future...I really think Michigan is wide open for anyone. :hi:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Kerry has a tough sell with the autoworkers.

After all, he's arguing for raising CAFE standards. Normally a better argument if you want to persuade environmentalists than autoworkers. But the way America is going to win in the global market is by outcompeting and out-innovating our competitors.

It is a false argument (and I'm not saying it is an argument you have made) to say that raising automobile efficiency costs jobs -- we can have jobs make better, more fuel-efficient cars -- and the world will buy them.

Well, Kerry says it better than I do:

Grist: It's interesting to me that unlike other candidates, you've actually gone to Iowa, for instance, which has a strong United Auto Workers base, and argued for CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, putting yourself in conflict with what we traditionally think of as anti-environmentalists.

Kerry: You have to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. But the truth, in this case, should be appealing to UAW's workers: I believe I can put them to work. I believe I can have them working making cars; they can just make cars that are more efficient. It's not that hard. We can make cars that use biomass ethanol, cars that use hybrid-electric engines, that get 100 miles to the gallon by just being smarter. Somebody has to lead us there.

Grist: So you have the same message for, say, an autoworker in Iowa as you would for a card-carrying environmentalist in Portland, Ore. -- this message that new, clean industries can energize the marketplace and save the environment at the same time?

Kerry: The message is the same: We can create jobs and people don't have to fear good environmental practices and we can show people how we'll create the jobs and in fact they'll be better off. I'd rather sell more American cars that are fuel-efficient than have people turn to Japanese cars and German cars, and right now they are out-producing us in this area. So the way to sell the American cars is get efficient. I'm willing to provide incentives that help people do that.
http://www.gristmagazine.com/maindish/kerry092303.asp

[displacedtexan]

7. MI's First Gentleman is on Kerry's national steering committee.

n/t

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. In all fairness, those types of endorsements did nothing to help

so far. :hi:

Again, I will reiterate, Michigan is wide open...for someone to come in, truly address the major problems at hand and perhaps pick up some delegates. :)

[booksenkatz]

6. The few polls I've seen here have shown Kerry

just slightly ahead of Dean, which has surprised me, because I think of Michigan as Dean country. We'll just have to see. I will say this, the anger against Bush is mighty palpable in this state... whatever happens will be quite interesting!

(A Clark supporter myself, but definitely ABB!)

[yellowcanine]

9. You put your finger on it.

"I will say this, the anger against Bush is mighty palpable in this state."

imo, that is what is driving the Kerry train now. Iowa was huge. It convinced a lot of Dem voters that Kerry was a winner and beating Bush is the driving force in 2004 for Dems.

[TexasPatriot]

10. Feb 3 is the last chance to derail Kerry

after that, the party will pull together if a #2 doesnt emerge.