With the current governor unable to run again, the field is wide open and in this town the presumed front-runner for the Democratic nomination is Lt. Governor John Cherry. Problem is somebody forgot to tell that to the folks who don't live in this town!

  For the second survey in a row, the front-runner is former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer who racks up 24 percent of the vote with his nearest rival at 20 percent and there aren't many who believe U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow will leave Washington to run for Jennifer Granholm's job.

  That leaves Upper Peninsula Congressman Bart Stupak then in the real second place with 8 percent followed by Cherry at 6 percent, and Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano at 5 percent.

  The real story here is nobody knows whom the lieutenant governor is, which is why Cherry is upping his outstate appearances to build on that weak 6 percent base.

  On the GOP side, no surprise here. Having spent $35 mil of his own money last time out, West Michigan businessperson Dick DeVos continues to lead the pack with 28 percent of the vote followed by Macomb County Congresswoman Candice Miller at 11 percent but party sources say she's out of the hunt. So the real second place goes to a man who is in the hunt, State Attorney General Mike Cox at 10 percent.

  The Denno-Noor survey found 29 percent of the D's and 32 percent of the R's unsure or didn't know whom they favored.

  These numbers will get a pretty good going over as many of the would-be contenders join the smooze-fest on Mackinac Island this week. They'll be rubbing elbows with 1700 captains of Michigan industry hoping to get a leg up on the 2010 race for governor.

  But right now those captains are really in a funk over the state of Michigan politics, so maybe the wanna-bes will end up talking to each other?