There are four majority party candidates running for the Michigan
Supreme Court.
Say two things about each one.
O.K., say one thing about each one.
Can't do it, can ya?
Which is why you and millions of others just like you will fall
victim to the "name game" when you vote next week. That is to say, the
candidate with the "best" name wins.
Republicans have a Mary Beth Kelly on the ballot. There's a great
Irish-Catholic name. And she comes from a long line of others with
similar great names who have served on that high court bench.
In fact when you read the list it sounds like the roll-call at a
St. Patty's Day beer blast: Cavanagh with a C and Kavanagh with a K,
Fitzgerald, Kelly, Brennan, McAllster, McAlway, McDonald, McGrath,
Riley, Ryan, O'Hara, and Flannigan, just to name a few.
Now each in his or own right may have been a fine jurist, but
none of the voters would know that unless they were related. Hence,
the name is the determining factor.
Which is why the two Democrats running this time, may be in
trouble.
And it's too late for Alton Thomas Davis to change his name to O'Davis
and you'd have a tough time turning Denise Langston Morris into
O'Morris.
Now you might feel sorry for them but what about the other
Republican up for reelection, Justice Robert Young, Jr.?
While he lacks the all important Irish surname, he will have an
advantage nonetheless. Under his name on the ballot will be Justice of
the Supreme Court. In other words and he and Justice Davis will be
identified as incumbents and to the voter, who doesn't know squat about
these guys, that is worth a ton of votes, too.
And being a female, they tell us, is worth 7% of the vote from
the get go which is why Ms. Kelly and Ms. Langston Morris, may do well,
too.
Hence when it comes to electing folks to the highest court in
the state, judicial qualifications are irrelevant when the electorate
is so ignorant. Instead it's all about what O'family you were borne
into.