This was sent in yesterday by an anonymous reader… who apparently doesn’t have a very high opinion of Debbie Stabenow.
Speaking of Stabenow, as we all seem to have problems with her, why don’t we find a credible progressive candidate to run against her? Is she really so powerful that no one can beat her, or is it just that we don’t have any truly progressive candidates in this state that are worth a damn?
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How do write-ins work anyway? If there are two Mark Maynards in Ypsi, there must be a dozen across the state. How would they know which of them was intended by the voter? Or would all the Mark Maynards take turns?
In the event that a write-in candidate wins, a panel of lobbyists and CEOs are convened and given 24 hours to construct a corporate entity with the name in question.
You have to file a declaration of intent to have write-in votes counted. Here’s the law and here’s an explanation from the Bureau of Elections. Basically, it’s so they don’t have to waste time counting write-in votes for Mickey Mouse and “Mom”.
I would of voted for a progressive candidate opposed to Stabenow. She does not enthuse me one bit but I will vote for her in November…. just wish I had a better option.
Most of the Washtenaw township positions didn’t have any Democrat on the ballot. Despite getting redistricted yet again, Dingell’s only challenger was a graduate student. The political parties in this state are a mess. 50 years of brain drain has left us with a considerable lack of political or economic leadership. Snyder is governor because he’s reasonably intelligent and wanted the job. Our slumlords are mostly just hapless incompetents rather than sinister land barons. Anyone with the slightest talent and the ambition should have destroyed them a long time ago. Given the context, I am amazed that our council is sort of functional.
I voted ‘No’ on Stabenow. Should have made it Mark Maynard. That will be my November default write in.
What problems do people have with Stabenow? I haven’t been following her too closely but whenever I have heard her speak, she seemed ok to me.
I lost faith in Stabenow with her vote on the Military Commissions Act.
You can find her voting record here.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/S000770/
From Wikipedia:
“she has opposed regulation of greenhouse gases, enhanced fuel efficiency standards in California, and greenhouse gas emission reporting standards”
http://www.centellas.org/politics/psci105/2005/04/debbie-stabenow-response.html
She voted for a bankruptcy bill that made no provision for natural disasters (Katrina, anyone), medical bankruptcy, student loans (how many are finding employment, and what about the for profit college default rates). Debbie has always been a shill for big business.
We just don’t have progressive candidates, or political parties, that are worth a damn.
Considering that all politics are local, why not start one here in ypsi? I’d think that a progressive party could work in a city like here