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In and outs of the political campaigns, focusing on Michigan and Lansing, Tim Skubick will report regularly throughout the primary and then general election campaigns.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Experience Factor

    You've got to admire Rick Snyder, the GOP business guy running for governor.  He can put a positive spin on just about anything you toss at him… even it defies logic.
    Here's what he uttered the other day when the conversation turned to his undeniable lack of experience under the capitol dome as he proudly promotes himself as the consumate non-career politician.
   "Term limits will actually help me if I'm elected," he opined.
   "Wow.  The blind leading the blind," was the instant analysis from one reporter chatting with the Ann Arbor outsider.
     Snyder laughed but his statement meant that with no experience he would be right at home with all the inexperienced lawmakers showing up in town for the first time next year, and that somehow would present a template for getting something done.  The phrase, the blind leading the blind comes to mind.
     Talk to the 44 new comers in the Michigan House, who now, some 14 months into their 24 month term, have just begun to have an impact on the process and even that is minimal.  The learning curve is steep, and even the ones who supported term limits coming in, want no part of it going out.
     This is not to say that Snyder, with no experience, can't be successful. But some, such as the sheriff of Oakland County, argue a new governor in this economy, should hit the ground running with no time for on the job training.
     That will be one of the focal points of the GOP primary for governor as
 Mike Bouchard points to his years in the legislative trenches.  Pete Hoekstra has 19 years in Congress and Mike Cox has eight years as Attorney General.  Snyder dismisses them all as professional politicians.
    It will be a fasicanating debate and Synder is confident he can transfer his business world acumen to the decidedly different political world of Lansing.
     The outsider mantra does have box office appeal in this anti-incumbent climate.  The question is how many outsiders does it take to screw-up the legislative process or fix it? 

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The learning curve is steep"???
What do you have to learn?
How to write a bill or how to blame the other eside for everything.
As a voter I think term limits are the best thing we have. Doesnt give them time to learn all the BS stories they give us.

March 17, 2010 at 6:20 AM 

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