Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 02/12/2015 8:32:20 AM PST by cripplecreek
LANSING, MI -- Today is the 206th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, one of the greatest U.S. presidents.
There's a lot to be thankful to Lincoln for: guiding the country through the Civil War and helping end slavery. But residents of Michigan have something special to thank the 16th president for. He coined the term many of us use to describe ourselves: Michigander.
There is an ongoing debate about if Michigan citizens should be described as Michiganians or Michiganders.
Lincoln coined the term Michigander when he was in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1848, Lincoln gave a speech against Lewis Cass -- Michigan's first governor who was campaigning for president. The word "Michigander" came from a combination of Michigan and gander, a male goose.
Lincoln used the word for goose to accuse Cass for campaigning on the coattails of (or following like a goose) president Andrew Jackson, according to the column Talking About Words from the University of Michigan. Lincoln also said Cass was exaggerating his military accomplishments.
Here's what Lincoln said, according to the column:
Like a horde of hungry ticks you have stuck to the tail of the Hermitage lion (Jackson) to the end of his life, and you are still sticking to it, and drawing a loathsome sustenance from it, after he is dead. ... But in my hurry I was very near closing on the subject of military tails before I was done with it. There is one entire article of the sort I have not discussed yet; I mean the military tail you Democrats are now engaged in dovetailing onto the great Michigander.
While the term was originally used as an insult, residents came to embrace it. But there's still a divide. While Gov. Rick Snyder uses the term, Previous Govs. Jennifer Granholm, John Engler and Jim Blanchard all used Michiganian. A 2011 poll found that 58 percent of people in Michigan prefer Michigander.
Earlier this year, I published a quiz about Michigan. The unscientific results showed that 94 percent said Michigander and 4 percent Michiganian. Out of the nearly 5,000 responses to the question, 155 said Yooper and 16 said troll, which some from the Upper Peninsula use to describe those from the Lower Peninsula.
OK one of two accepted answers for birthplace with Ripon Wisconsin being the other.
Quack or Honk?
I’m a Michigander.
Michigander has been gone for almost 7 years now.
Happy Birthday,Mr. Lincoln and thanyou for preserving “The Union”so it could be Destroyed by a No-Nothing,UnAccomplished,America-Hating,Marxist,Racist Ideologue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Admittedly neither term made since to me as a kid. Back during the sesquicentennial we heard them often and both came off as cartoonish and embarrassing to hear. I guess after learning about the early history of the state, and seeing that we were kind of this place that was seen as a useless wasteland, that it seemed like the Union fought more to keep out (not to mention the embarrassment of Detroit), it just rubbed me the wrong way.
But Michigander has grown on me, and it seems most people. It’s quirky and unique in an off the beaten path kind of way, which is what being a Michigander is all about!
No problem, the next Republican POTUS will have the last name Ripon! ;’) Michigander! I’ve always loathed and detested the idiotic bureaucratic contraption that is “Michganians”.
Ducks quack, geese honk.
I’ve always thought it was funny that the birthplace of the GOP is in a city named after a president who thought he was screwing us by taking away Toledo and giving us the worthless upper peninsula.
Jackson gave Toledo to Ohio if they would deliver the votes for Democrats. Ohio did go to the democrats but they still lost.
Any reason why Michiganite wasn’t considered?
HA!
I always preferred Michigander because it was half close to the favorite yellow spotted salamander we’d find and play with!
Sitting quiet under our rocks, like humble conservatives do.
Ripon is where the decision was made and a name was chosen. Jackson was where the first official rally was held.
I refer to myself as a Michigoose ;)
Michigandian?...Michiganista?
Of course, by destroying states rights, he set the path for all those things. What a guy.
What about Michiganah?
Me too, I’ll always be a Michigander but I’ve been a Michigoner for quite a while now.
We Michiganders have a weird sense of irony about us.
Today Jackson is a depressing afterthought of a city if there ever was one.
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