Published: July 25, 2009 07:45 pm      

Op-Ed: Snyder shows moxie on tour

Rick who?

It's Rick Snyder, a successful Ann Arbor businessman but relatively obscure candidate whose two-peninsula, 26-city announcement tour last week underscored that he has the moxie, money and campaign operation to be taken seriously as a contender in what shapes up as Michigan's most competitive Republican gubernatorial primary in many decades.

In the 2010 GOP mix for term-limited Jennifer Granholm's seat: Aggressive Attorney General Mike Cox, who has cracked down on many evil-doers and has a PR machine second to none in Lansing; U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, of Holland, whose high visibility on Capitol Hill is trickling onto the campaign trail where he has some innovative gigs; Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, an ex-state senator who lost by a 57-41 percentage in his 2006 challenge of Sen. Debbie Stabenow but has a vote-rich primary base; and Sen. Tom George, of Kalamazoo, a thoughtful long shot whose challenge is to let voters know of his considerable credentials.

In my Friday chat with venture capitalist Snyder -- after his Traverse City stop as he headed with his family and political aides to Charlevoix, Cheboygan and the Upper Peninsula in a huge motor home with a "Rick for Governor" sign -- the former president and chief operating officer of Gateway computers said his campaign is focused on correcting lack of leadership by both parties "in the broken world" of Lansing.

"We are projected to lose 1 million jobs this decade, our unemployment rate is 15.2 percent and a family moves out of Michigan every 12 minutes," Snyder said, spouting a line he used throughout his downstate tour to trumpet his theme that politicians have brought on "an economic disaster."

Political neophyte Snyder insists he is the one to deliver disaster relief.

Among his Traverse City events, Snyder had his second meeting this year with ex-Gov. Bill Milliken, who said, "I have a positive impression of the campaign he is running" but he will "keep watching" primary campaigns before making any possible endorsement.

While a professed non-politician, Snyder showed a deft political touch as he introduced two of his children to a Cheboygan audience Friday: "This is all for them. I want (them) to be able to stay in Michigan. I want them to feel like they have a bright future here. That's why I couldn't take it any more and that's why I'm running for governor."

Democrats appear to be taking Snyder seriously. Their state chairman, Mark Brewer, calls him "Dick DeVos Jr.-- "a reference to the 2006 GOP gubernatorial nominee and former Amway top executive who "shipped jobs to China." Snyder says he's a job creator, and said he won't personally finance his campaign to the extent DeVos did.

At the recent Mackinac Island annual conference of the Detroit Regional Chamber, Snyder was escorted around the Grand Hotel by Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of the Ford Motor Co. Although he has not officially endorsed a candidate, he wore a "Rick for Michigan" button and has been praising his credentials to be an innovative governor.

Snyder has good ties with new Republican State Chairman Ron Weiser (not Weisner as I misspelled it last week), a fellow Ann Arbor businessman. He said, "it is good that Ron is bringing the whole party" together.

In other campaign developments, Hoekstra is taking on 100 temporary ones in pursuit of what he hopes will be Job One after the 2010 election -- governor.

When he announced for governor, he vowed that during his campaign he would perform 100 different jobs in diverse industries "to stress the importance of economic development and job creation."

For his first jobs gig, Hoekstra planned Monday to work about two hours with an Inland Pipe Rehabilitation crew on a repair project in Detroit to enable water and sewage to flow better.

Friendly rivals

As Democrats seek to end, or at least erode, Republican rule of the state Senate, they will target, among other seats, that of term-limited 37th district Sen. Jason Allen, R-Traverse City.

A strong Republican contender is ex-Rep. Howard Walker, of Traverse City, who represented Grand Traverse and Kalkaska counties and has a swarm of endorsements from high-profile Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland.

Term-limited House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin, revealed Saturday that he decided not to run for the Senate but will wait to run for a local judgeship when such a seat opens. He said his three children "need their dad" more than Lansing does.

A strong Democratic contender is term-limited Rep. Gary McDowell, of Rudyard. Although not announced, he told me Friday "I plan on running" for Allen's seat. He now represents Chippewa, Mackinac and Emmet counties, and part of Cheboygan County.

What strikes me at this early stage is that Walker and McDowell -- in contrast to the partisan snarling in Lansing and Washington these and earlier days -- say nice things about each other.

Walker, who called to tout his GOP endorsements, responded when I asked about McDowell: "He's a hard worker and represents his district well. ... Gary is a good gentleman. ... I expect a good race."

When I asked McDowell about Walker, he said, "I have a high opinion" of him-- "a solid guy."

A rare moment in Michigan politics.

George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.