It's an unusual battle cry for a bunch of Democrats, but hey, if your
guy is on the ropes, you do what you have to do.
Hence you are hearing from the Virg Bernero camp, "Remember John
Engler."
Frankly a lot of Democrats would rather forget their old nemesis,
but as the saying goes, "If Engler can do it, so can the Virg."
This, of course, a reference to where Mr. Bernero is today compared
to the pickle John Engler was in visa vie his race against Gov. Jim
Blanchard in 1990.
The popular wisdom then was crystal clear: Blanchard could not
lose.
Ah, but he did which is why Bernero-ittes are clinging to the hope
that history will repeat itself in two weeks.
John Truscott was there in 1990 and rode around with the GOP
challenger Mr. Engler who pulled off the upset of the century.
J.T. ain't (sic) buying the analogy with Bernero now.
"It was a completely different dynamic," he reflects. Blanchard's
support was "thin" and Engler knew how to exploit that. Rick Snyder
does not appear to be "thin" as he boasts a twenty point lead.
But Blanchard had a hefty lead as well that grumbled the Saturday
before the election, the Bernero folks recall.
Former House Speaker Lew Dodak supports Bernero and is a believer
in a history re-do. "It's always a possibility. The race will tighten
(and) get down to one, two, or three points and at that point in time,
it's anyone's election."
Dodak's lobbying partner is the former GOP House Speaker Rick
Johnson and he thinks his buddy is off base.
"I disagree with that and I say that, because that was John Enlger
and this is Virg Bernero."
That's just another way of saying, "I know John Engler and Virg
Bernero is no John Engler."
Yet, funny thinks can happen in the run up to the voting.
Does it look like a Snyder win?
You bet.
But they said the same thing about a Blanchard victory twenty
years ago.