Set your watch for twenty-four days. By then you'll know if the Oakland County Sheriff will turn in his badge to run for governor of Michigan.

      Mike Bouchard is again thinking about making the bid for the state's highest office but note, he's been here before and has never pulled the trigger.  He says he'll pull it or release it by the time the Detroit Chamber of Commerce confab is held on Mackinac Island in those twenty-four days.

      "I am listening and talking" reports Bouchard who can ponder this race now that Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson will not run.

        On one hand having a candidate from Oakland County has some appeal to republicans. The last two  hailed from that "other" side of the state.

   A 0    But on the other hand with the economy being the number one issue, what qualities does a sheriff bring to that?

        Bouchard argues he would be a good governor since he has legislative and executive experience, but he won't run if there is not a "high probability" he can win.

        Bouchard has detractors. One Oakland County R suggests the sheriff gets up every morning and "looks for a TV camera or a mirror."  What politician doesn't?

        Another says, "He talks about running all the time.  He is not credible" plus "he is six months behind" other contenders in the crowed GOP contest.

        Candidate Mike Cox, who was relieved when Patterson dropped out, wants to win Oakland County but if Bouchard runs, that assignment gets toughe r. However, Cox backers have a pretty impressive list of would be donors from the county including FOB's i.e. friends of Bouchard.

       Bouchard dismisses that saying the list will change if he runs.

       While some believe he is running already, given a chance the other day to rate his interest on a scale of one to ten, Bouchard punted.

       If you have fire in your gut to run, you would at least pick a number don't ya think?

     

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