If you listen intently, you can faintly hear the sounds of what
appears to be a race for governor going on out there somewhere. To be
sure that story can not compete with the likes of the Tigers doing
pretty darn good at the All Star break or the LeBron what's-his-name
story which has sucked most of the air out of the news hole in the
daily newscasts and papers.
Yet, the signs are there.
Take the recent flood of endorsements. Most of the smart guys
in the race have waited until after the 4th of July to uncork the bevy
of blessings.
Democrat Andy Dillon can boast about former Detroit Mayor Dennis
Archer adding his name to the growing endorsement list. Apparently
there is no loyalty bond between mayors and former mayors as Archer
wants nothing to do with Vir Bernro who challenges Dillon while running
the City of Lansing.
But Bernero is racking up his own list. His former opponent
Alma Wheeler Smith, who flirted with sitting out the democratic primary
because she really didn't like either Dillon or Bernero, has come off
the fence in what might be viewed as more of an anti-Dillon vote than
pro-Bernero, but an endorsement is an endorsement.
And over the weekend, the Virg decided to skip the
spectator-rich Cherry Festival parade up in T.C. The other six
candidates did show up but Bernero was in Motown standing next to
Congressman John Conyers and Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick who got
on board with him.
The decision to ship the Traverse City event may have been
calculated in that Bernero won't win the Democratic primary with those
folks up North, but he's got a better shot by rubbing elbows with
Conyers and Kilpatrick although, that in an of itself, is a bit dicey
since the two do have some political baggage they are lugging around.
Then there is Rick Snyder, the business guy who has zero
business endorsements. What do his pals know that we don't know?
Regardless another former GOP candidate for governor, turned
independent, Joe Schwarz is signing up.
West Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra could not contain his joy
when he fell into the lap of Dr. James Dobson who has some pull with
the religious right. Never mind that Dobson mis-pronounced Hoekstra's
name in the one minute radio endorsement spot. Hoekstra will take it.
So see there is lots of stuff going on and this is just the
beginning of the end. So please get your head out of the box scores
and pay attention to a pennant race of another kind... at least until
election day August 3.