John Engler had his nickel. Pete Hoekstra has his penny and Mike
Cox has his lobster.
Symbolism counts for a lot in political campaigns.
Recall that when candidate Engler ran the first time he carried
around a five-cent piece and whenever the issue of property tax relief
came up, out came the nickel to demonstrate the weekly savings on
incumbent Jim Blanchard's property tax relief plan.
Current GOP candidate for governor, Mr. Hoekstra, carries a penny
in his pocket and whips it out to prove he can "make a penny squeal"
which is just another way of saying he is a West Michigan tight-wad.
And now you're probably wondering what in the world GOP governor
candidate Mike Cox is doing with a lobster suit?
He intends to use "Larry the Lobster" to taunt Mr. Hokestra.
If you've been watching the tube, you've seen the reference in
the recent Cox commercial to the Congressional money that went to a
Lobster Institute in Maine and sure enough, the ad contends, Mr.
Hoekstra voted for that.
Never mind that "tight-wad" Hoekstra has an explanation. Cox is
fixin' to sic this "symbol" on his opponent and perhaps "claw" him to
death with the imagery.
Now the Cox folks will not confirm any of this, but let's just
say it would not be appearing in print, or on the air if it t'weren't
so.
Of course, how you use the lobster can be a dicey issue.
Do you ask Larry to show up at the docks on Mackinac Island when
all the big shot business leaders dis-embark for a leadership confab
this week?
Do you ask Larry to work the crowd at Hoekstra events beginning
this week as Hoekstra and Newt Gingrich rally near by?
Or do you just ask the lobster to weasel his way into a photo
opportunity with Hoekstra which most assuredly would end up in another
Cox TV commercial?
This could interesting and nasty depending on how the Hoekstra
team responds. Do they try to escort the lobster out of the rallies
and make a scene for the TV cameras? Which raises the question, does
Larry have free-speech rights?