A curious flip-flop occurred on the way to finding a democrat to run for governor:  The criterion for selecting said candidate changed.

     When Lt. Govenor John Cherry was the front runner, the party had clearly placed most of its eggs in the "experience" basket.

     Then when Mr. Cherry took a powder, the party did not scramble to find someone else with experience.  Nope. Instead the search began for someone who had money and no ties to Lansing.

     The want ad now reads: Democratic nomination for governor:  No experience required. Bring own money to the table.

     Item: Denise Ilitch. No hands on Lansing experience.

    The major reason she was even being considered was the wad of money she might use to win.  She also has good name ID which is why she is leading the field at this early read.

     Dan Kildee, a democrat from Genesee County who says he "wants to be governor" has noticed the shift and wonders out loud.  "Shouldn't the party be asking first, can this person actually be governor?"

     Your logical self should be nodding in agreement.

     "Oh, I could pay for my own campaign," he noted on Off the Record the other day, "If everyone agreed to a forty-eight hour campaign."

      Kildee's challenge:  There are others in the hunt who have  experience and the money to get there, which means at the end of the day, he may be on the outside looking in.

     House Speaker Andy Dillon is like Kildee but may have access to some business dollars that other democrats might not get.

    Former State Treasurer Bob Bowman has both the experience and the moola and would be a force to contend with should he get in.

    If Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero could turn fiery rhetoric into dollars, he could self fund, but he's like Kildee as is Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith. 

    So the search continues as it appears that the size of one's checkbook may be the deciding factor. After all if all of the candidates have similar resumes, the party leaders will go with the one who can pay his or her way into the governor's seat..

     But the last guy who ran for governor because he had the most money, turned out to be a loser because he had no message and lacked the experience to go with it.

     Surely you remember Dick Devos?