Patterico's Pontifications

8/12/2008

Obama’s Michigan Problem

Filed under: 2008 Election — DRJ @ 11:57 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

According to Steve Mitchell in a RealClearPolitics’ article, Barack Obama’s problem in Michigan is that the GOP will successfully link Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and Barack Obama like the Three Musketeers.

Bonus question: Will Michigan’s Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm remove Mayor Kilpatrick from office before the Presidential election?

— DRJ

26 Responses to “Obama’s Michigan Problem”

  1. That’s not a problem IN Michigan…

    It’s just a problem in other states that possess some small measure of sanity.

    Scott Jacobs (fa5e57)

  2. Can Mrs Granholm remove Mr Kilpatrick?

    Dana R Pico (3e4784)

  3. Will Granholm act?
    Why would now be any different than before.
    She’s spent her entire term doing nothing and allowing her state to slowly descend into the abiss.

    Another Drew (bfaaf5)

  4. GG: Who’s Jesus to you?

    (He laughs nervously)

    OBAMA: Right. Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.

    And he’s also a wonderful teacher. I think it’s important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.

    Well this pretty much reinforces my view of Obama and the lack of utility in attending Trinity UCC.

    Neo (cba5df)

  5. Neo, I sure wish that a watered down concept of Jesus was the worst thing you’d learn at that church, but I’m convinced that anyone sitting there for 20 years would have to be a true believer in all manner of anti-Semitic ideas, CIA conspiracy theories, and hatred for the USA.

    That Obama gave the church up is a good thing, but that he gave it up just because it caused problems for his campaign is not a sign of any kind of character on Obama’s part.

    Sad stuff.

    Michigan has been a sad story for ages, but things were not so bad there fairly recently. They got a lot worse when this governor took over, and that’s why the former governor, a republican, is so popular in Michigan now (and a potential VP for Mccain).

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  6. Even the dead have a problem with Michigan…
    http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/METRO08/808120367
    h/t James Taranto, BOTW

    Another Drew (bfaaf5)

  7. The Governor’s hands are tied, since the mayor still represents a sizable constituency for her failed policies. He should’ve resigned months ago, but now she’s really hosed in the whole deal – no doubt she was hoping he’d have gone away quietly by now.

    Dmac (874677)

  8. Mitchell wrote: The primary reason for her (Granholm) not kicking him (Kilpatrick) out of office was given by an African-American Detroit city councilwoman who said “we don’t want a white governor removing our black mayor.”

    One wonders if the city councilwoman’s dictum still applies whether the black mayor is a crook or not, or if it applies to black presidents and white office holders. But, as interesting as an answer to those questions may prove, I have other fish to fry.

    I refuse to overlook the overt racism here. That unnamed city councilwoman is engaged in a public display of racism, under color of authority. I can’t see how it can be disputed, however, I’m equally convinced it would be if someone in Detroit had the guts to call her on it.

    It seems to me Governor Granholm has more on her plate than the mayor’s criminal behavior. Racism is abroad in Detroit, and it’s not ashamed to show it’s ugly face.

    Ropelight (4a83c9)

  9. The first time I laid eyes on Jennifer Granholm, I was stunned. IMHO, she’s the most gorgeous female politician of my lifetime (Sarah Palin included). It is my firm belief that Hillary Clinton has at least once thought to herself, “Thank God she’s from Canada,” and thus cannot run for President.

    After seeing her speak at the 2004 Dem Convention, I realized that Hillary had nothing to worry about. Granholm looks great, but her speaking chops are substandard — surprising for someone who was a former pageant queen and had Hollywood aspirations in her youth. Even if she was American-born, her tenure as Governor is nothing to run on — Michigan is an unmitigated disaster (don’t be offended, ‘ganders — I live in Collyforneeyuh, where another photogenic foreigner has wreaked havoc).

    Later in that same convention, Barack Obama made his prime time debut, and blew everybody away. At one point, Hillary stood and clapped for Obama. I believe that while she was smiling, she was thinking to herself, “Ohhhh [bleep], this guy might be trouble.”

    Has anyone ever seen Granholm’s legs? Like HRC, she’s in pantsuits every single day.

    L.N. Smithee (0931d2)

  10. Dude! I mean, she’s okay, but come on.

    Icy Truth (95c92c)

  11. eh.

    You can have her, L.N.

    I’ll take Palin, thank you…

    I believe that while she was smiling, she was thinking to herself, “Ohhhh [bleep], this guy might be trouble”

    Odd, then, than she failed to take him for a drive through the park, if you know what I mean…

    Scott Jacobs (fa5e57)

  12. she failed to take him for a drive through the park, if you know what I mean…

    True. She still thought he’d make a good Veep. The gamble that brought down her campaign..

    Vermont Neighbor (a066ed)

  13. Obama’s potential win in Virginia would be completely mitigated should McCain pull out Michigan.

    Icy Truth (95c92c)

  14. One wonders if the city councilwoman’s dictum still applies whether the black mayor is a crook or not, or if it applies to black presidents and white office holders.

    She’s been leading the resignation drive, telling Kilpatrick “the city is bigger than you.”

    Councilwoman JoAnn Watson’s unedited remark:

    “Nobody wants a white woman in Lansing to decide the fate of a black man in Detroit. That’s why I’m begging you to resign.”

    steve (b1622d)

  15. Hey, Michigan is not slowly descending into the abyss. Plummeting, perhaps, but slowly? Not so.

    Our local area just lost the bid on some manufacturing plant (forget which, auto I think) because, every day, while the company was scoping out the site, the papers were running headlines about how the UAW was striking United Axle.

    Our new state motto is going to be “Jobs? Who needs ’em?”

    Nugai (5636c2)

  16. steve, thanks. If you strip out “white woman” and “black man” then substitute “Governor Granholm” and “Mayor Kilpatrick” both the gender and racial problems don’t intrude. I wouldn’t have raised a stink then.

    I may been unfair to the city councilwoman. My take was derived from Mitchell’s quote. If he misrepresented her, I owe JoAnn Watson an apology, and Mr Mitchell ought to provide some sort of explaination for leading his readers down the garden path.

    Ropelight (4a83c9)

  17. With apologies to the Musketeers…

    On to another thought,

    I think New Orleans and Detroit are great examples of how race based government inevitably fails its people.
    Electing people for their “blackness” “whiteness” whatever.. rather than their professional merits or confusing the two is crazy. (see Cynthia McKinney)

    I didn’t hear the councilwomans voice, but I can interpret her statement as plaintive. Racial in the sense that Kwame is embarrassing her as a black woman.
    Let’s get to the point where fools like Kwame are an embarrassment to themselves and where “blackness” or “whiteness” is not held up as a mitigating factor in the foolishness.
    Kwame’s idiocy only reflects badly on the blacks that embrace him.
    A little advice: turn your backs on the knucklehead and run his dumb ass out of town black, white or green.

    SteveG (71dc6f)

  18. The sad thing is that Kwame would get reelected if he runs again.

    Its not necessarily a race thing in that Gary Condit was going to get reelected (at least the primary) until the Democrats redrew the districts to ensure he’d lose. People don’t like to admit they voted for a loser.

    However, the probability the next mayor will be a flamboyant black person cut from the same cloth as Kwame, will be a race thing.

    jpm100 (b48b29)

  19. jpm – Gary Condit was a democrat.

    daleyrocks (d9ec17)

  20. Daleyrocks: yes he was, but he had a mostly moderate voting record and the Dem machine in California wanted to replace him with a True Believer so they tried to engineer his defeat. The whole Chandra Levy thing played an important part too, naturally.

    JVW (6ce807)

  21. JVW – Since 82% of Detroit’s population is black, I don’t think redistricting will matter a whole lot and jpm100 isn’t exactly going too far out on a limb there IMHO.

    daleyrocks (d9ec17)

  22. You have a problem with McCain being given money by the owner of a gay website?

    Man, you have some deep seated self-loathing there, buddy…

    Scott Jacobs (fa5e57)

  23. Deep-seated self-loathing is Larry Craig, buddy.

    David Ehrenstein (699cff)

  24. Now now David… You keep that up, and I’ll start thinking you don’t like me anymore…

    Scott Jacobs (fa5e57)


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