Posted on 12/10/2010 2:01:56 PM PST by speciallybland
John Engler, largely based on superior name recognition, is the top choice of Michigan Republicans to take on Debbie Stabenow in 2012. Among the more likely roster of potential GOP contenders Pete Hoekstra is the leader by a good margin with only Mike Cox also hitting double digits.
31% of Republican voters say Engler would be their first choice, followed by 24% for Hoekstra, and 12% for Cox. Rounding out the Republicans polled is Terri Lynn Land at 7%, Candice Miller at 5%, Mike Rogers at 4%, Thad McCotter at 3%, and Tim Leuliette at 0%. If Leuliette, who has shown the most public interest in running so far, somehow ends up in the Senate he will truly be able to say he started with nothing.
Engler has 72% name recognition and that's the main reason for his early lead. 59% of voters know Land, 58% know Hoekstra and Miller, and just 17% have an opinion about Leuliette. With voters who have an opinion about Hoekstra whether it's positive or negative he's actually the top choice of Republicans by a 32-30 margin over Engler. Given that an Engler candidacy seems very unlikely at this point Hoekstra's probably the early front runner on the Republican side if he decides to get into the race.
The numbers on the Presidential side are emblematic of the paradox that plagues Mitt Romney's potential candidacy: he does better than most Republicans with Democrats and independents, but the GOP base just isn't that enthused about him. The general election part of this poll earlier in the week found Romney trailing Barack Obama by only 4 points when the rest of the GOP hopefuls were all down by double digits. But when it comes to who GOP voters in the state want as their nominee Romney can only muster a tie with Mike Huckabee at 22%, with Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich just a little further back at 18% and 15% respectively. Ron Paul actually hits double digits in Michigan at 10%, with Tim Pawlenty at 3%, Mitch Daniels at 2%, and John Thune at 1% rounding out the Republican field.
After you take Romney and Huckabee’s names and move them over to the WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER list, Sarah Palin will be found at the top of the list, where she belongs. IMHO.
There a commenter here (name escapes me) who mentioned The very fact Sarah endorsed Dr. B (who took over Stupaks seat) who won has an ally in Mich. Yes, the good Dr. probably would have won anyways but still Sarah is alot more competitive in Mich than people think. It was a strategic move to gain a foot hold in Dr. B’s district.
Oh by the way Dr B is supportive of Sarah as well.
Romney's dad was a governor here as well as a major player in the auto industry, so he does have name recognition.
The poll does show how Romney could slip in with Huck and a bunch of "conservatives" splitting enough for him to slide in.
McCain did it last time, it's something she (and the rest of us conservatives) need to figure out.
what Red Wing fan wouldn't love that!
‘Dr. B’ is Dan Benishek. Good man from what I can tell.
Thanks. I just didn’t want to spell it incorrectly.
If Saul Anuzis gains the RNC chairmanship, the chances for a 3rd party in 2012 goes up substantially.
Anuzis is a great guy and he flipped the entire state of Michigan in 2010... but he is a Romney guy. He needs to disavow Romney now.
Saul Anuzis is a big Newt Gingrich fan. He once said that if he had his way he would appoint Newt Gingrich as president.
He also worked for Newt's 527 group, American Solutions, in 2009.
Saul Anuzis Joins American Solutions' Team
If Rove/Duncan/Gillespie are not successful in re-taking control of the RNC in January, look for Anuzis to be the compromise choice.
Either way, it would be a disaster for conservatives, the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.
UP Michigan person ( I am not a native Yooper though) Dr. B. yes way to go. Romney you can forget about him ask people in the UP and the response is Sarah Palin. Romney’s father was a governor in the 60s and he was connected with AMC American Motors corporation. remember AMC was bought by Renault and eventually Chrysler. How is that working out for America as Chrysler is now owned by Fiat - fix it again Tony? Notice renault did not last long in America Alliance and Encore, Fuego and the Le Car.
forget Huckabee. In terms of people for Senator against Stabenow. Hoekstra and the former Repubican Governor Engler. ( i can tell you something how good MI is in 2006, I was still getting letters from Lansing with John Engler as the Governor,on the letterhead yet it was Grannie was in office). notice she is in her second term and will be gone at the end of this year and she is moving to California - the land of fruits, nuts and flakes)
“Either way, it would be a disaster for conservatives, the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.”
Conversely, it will be a disaster for the RNC because We The People are NOT going to be led around by the nose anymore.
It’s a two way street and the elites are heading off a cliff.
If this guy gets control of the RNC and then uses it to undermine Sarah Palin at the behest of the GOP grand-poobahs, then I am FINISHED with the Republican Party, PERIOD.
While the establishment is jockeying for control of the party structure, conservatives are busy getting rid of Michael Steele, who at least has been receptive to the Tea Party.
Conservatives are not focusing on this upcoming fight in January for control of the party machinery. I guarantee you the Washingtonian wing of the party is. They want Steele gone...NOW.
If Leuliette, who has shown the most public interest in running so far, somehow ends up in the Senate he will truly be able to say he started with nothing.Except maybe he's not really a Republican? Obviously I don't know this, it's just a possibility, but I've never heard of the guy, and here he's being touted for all practical purposes. The "Republican" governor we just elected came out of nowhere, starting with no political experience. Thanks speciallybland.
If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.
Very right. I’ve been saying it too and it’s like trying to talk to a brick wall when it comes to the ‘Steele has to go’ crowd.
Rove and Duncan engineered the lousy RNC fundraising by siphoning off big donors to their American Crossdressers group.
Can you imagine what it would be like if the head of the national RNC acting like that jackass in Delaware? Steele has his faults, but he’s at least receptive to our cause and doesn’t actively work against us. Rove and his people will.
American Crossdressers...LOL. Seriously, though, couple the big-dollar donors going to American Crossroads and the conservative small donors saying 'no mas' to the RNC after '08 (a rational reaction, BTW) -- it's no wonder the RNC is starved for money and everybody is blaming Steele for it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no big supporter of Steele but I believe, like you, that he understands the jeopardy of saying "screw you" to the Tea Party conservatives.
Team Rove/Duncan/Gillespie are surely feeling good about how they've engineered all this. I sure don't. As I said earlier in the thread, if Rove & co. don't get their guy in, Saul Anuzis will probably be the compromise choice for RNC Chairman. He's Newt's guy.
Either way, conservatives lose out. The establishment is counting on the tea-party base to fall in line once again as they manipulate the machinery to get their man nominated for president in 2012.
They may be wrong this time.
I’m pretty sure we’re going to lose on the Steele issue, just because nobody’s listening. I haven’t seen a single blog post on it and haven’t heard a single talk radio host address it. Basically, there’s you and me who are ringing the alarm bells. Call me crazy, but I have my doubts about that being enough. :)
I don’t think they can stop Sarah from getting the nomination, but I’m worried about them knifing her in the back after that. She might have to take on a Bush 41 type VP in order to placate them. Not the worst thing in the world, as long as he’s strategically chosen to be too old to run for the top job in 8 years.
Thad McCotter seems underrated to me. I’d like to see him become a big part of the next administration or Congress.
I think if he set his mind to it he could go all the way to the White House by 2018.
...”by 2018.”
sorry, make that Jan. 2017.
Here is my prediction on what happens to the lost House seat.
Republicans in Michigan will draw a district that will contain Gary Peters (9th) and Dale Kildee (5th), forcing them to run against each other in a primary, or what is the more likely option, an end to Kildee. Which works fine, considering the guy died 8 years ago, all that exists of him now is old file footage and someone else voting in his place.
Gary Peters’ district will look like the old 9th, containing most of Flint, while Kildee’s Thumb farm country (Tuscola Co., etc) will go to Candace Miller, Bay City will go to Dan Benishek, and Dave Camp will take as much of Saginaw as he can without turning 50/50 his usual 70/30 vote totals.
Some people might think that this is the opportunity to get rid of Conyers, but Kildee is surrounded by Republicans and it is easy to fit a district containing him and one other nearby Democrat. That is what they should do.
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