What a huge difference a year makes.

      On Mackinac Island last year, candidate Rick Snyder was just one of seven contenders seeking to be the new governor.  His chances were not very good; his debate performance was gnarly when he got into a nasty and very personal exchange with fellow GOP candidate Mike Cox.  He and his wife may have been the only ones who really believed he could win.

      This year, he and his wife had a nice little joint on the island..you know that "cottage" right next to the fort that you can see from the lake front. 

      And this year he was afforded rock star status by the adoring business types who whooped and hollared at everything the new governor said.

      They did not seemed bored at the continual references to "best practices" or the need to "continue the dialogue" or that Snyder "RPA" or renlentless positive action stuff.

      Hey, if the guy had just given you a whopping $1.7 billion business tax cut, you would not be bored either.

      And so it went as Gov. Snyder put his fingerprints on almost everything that unfolded at the Detroit Chamber gig.  He was everywhere and his behavior was in stark contrast to his immediate predecessor.

      When Jennifer Granholm hit the island she did it on her terms which meant you only saw her when she wanted to be seen.  For example, after she delivered her swan-song good-bye speech, she and an aide dasked out the back door of the Grand Hotel to avoid the media.

        Mr. Snyder?

       Heck his handlers were offering him to everyone in the media;  if you were the editor of a tiny outstate paper, you could get at him with ease.

       The conclave was a huge victory lap for the governor and he took it but was also judicious about sharing the glory and down playing his role as he elevated his "partners in the legislature" to equal status.

       "This is not about me.  This is about we," he repeated and repeated.

       Hey this relentless positive action is starting to take hold, he smiled and all the capitans of industry smiled right back.

       Heck, with a little rock music this could have been a love-in.