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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

Mich. guv hopeful Rick Snyder embraces ‘the nerd discussion’

By David Alire Garcia | 02.08.10 | 5:55 pm
The 'nerd' governor?

The 'nerd' governor?

In one of the more interesting political ads in recent memory — especially for a Republican — Ann Arbor venture capitalist and first-time candidate Rick Snyder branded himself “one tough nerd” in the 60-second spot that ran during the Super Bowl coverage yesterday.

Typically, Republican candidates don’t embrace their intellectual sides, instead often preferring to brand “elitist” Democrats with the egg-head epithet. But not Snyder. He’s apparently decided to goes full steam ahead on the embrace-your-inner-wonk front, albeit with a humorous touch.

A Snyder aide said earlier today that the expensive ad was a play for independent voters — an interesting target given the fact that Snyder first has to secure the GOP nomination in the June 8 primary.

According to campaign strategist John Weaver, the candidate’s message focuses on the importance of job creation and that “it will take a very smart guy, a very tough guy to change” business as usual in Lansing. In a Detroit News story posted on the newspaper’s website a little while ago, Weaver elaborated:

“We won’t have the nerd discussion in every one of our ads, but this will be central theme to our approach.”  He said Super Bowl ads “must cut through the clutter,” adding other candidates will have “cookie-cutter ads and cookie-cutter plans” for fixing the state.

Rick Snyder Ad Still ShotIn the ad, Snyder declares, “It’s time for a nerd.” A narrator fleshes out Snyder’s credentials: “Growing up in Battle Creek, Rick Snyder started reading Fortune Magazine…when he was eight. By 23, he’d completed college at the University of Michigan, and his MBA, and his law degree.”

Earlier in the spot, Snyder highlighted his non-politician status by lambasting the more conventional politicians running for governor with a montage of photos that includes ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and even current Gov. Jennifer Granholm, both Democrats. Later on in the spot, Snyder gets around to touting his tenure as president of Gateway Computers.

On his campaign website, Snyder’s choice of framing is vigorously defended: “Rick proudly refers to himself as a nerd because solving the state’s problems is more important to him than the trappings of political office. Tough nerds are known for getting results and that’s exactly what Rick intends to do as Governor.”

In a post on Politico about the ad, Snyder’s $80,000 spot — Super Bowl ads don’t come cheap! — was described as an effort by a GOP candidate “lagging” in the polls. According to recent surveys, the relatively unknown Snyder does in fact trail fellow gubernatorial hopefuls state Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

The spot, of course, is just one of many campaign messages in the state’s Republican primary for governor, as chronicled earlier today by Michigan Messenger’s Todd Heywood.

Comments

  • http://www.outsidelansing.com chetlyzarko

    I disagree that with the conflation that “intellectual” must be “elitist” and that “Republicans typically” eschew intellectualism.

    I suspect there is some truth the observation that Republicans point out Democratic and liberal “elitism” more than Democrats (although Dems have played the “country club Republican” style of elitism forever, even though it is a horribly inaccurate stereotype of the average Republican), but that may be because the party philosophy that government decision-makers can decide things better than individuals has a philosophical lean to being labeled elitist by definition. It doesn't mean Republicans are less intellectual or nerdy though – their nerds just express themselves more in business and private sectors while Dem nerds do in public sectors. I suspect the “average” voter of each party is a working class person with beliefs of wide diversity.

  • dianaramsey

    It was interesting to note that there was no picture of Engler in your TV ad. Michigan's economy reached an all time low during his tenure as governor. Michigan has spent the last eight years trying to dig itself out of the pit he put us in.

    Also, it's a common theme among political groups to think testing is the cure-all in reforming education. I wonder why business men and politicians think they can determine the best way to teach children. Educational administrators, who's background is administration, not education, have not been successful in reforming Michigan schools because they are not equipped to do so. Isn't it time to talk to the educators of children and teachers? Educational groups such as the NCTE or IRA would seem to be more appropriate.

    • georgesboukis

      Seriously? The educators are going to be the reformers? The city of Detroit consistently churns out illiterates, we are last in the nation, and you are blaming the administrators and politicians? Failures cannot negotiate on their own behalf, do you know why? Because they are FAILURES. They need to be removed, all of them. You don't need new buildings, or better books, or proper funding, or any of the other excuses that are always made whenever the teachers are confronted with their failure. You need Discipline, and Consequences, and you need to be realistic and have the will to throw out rotten apples for the sake of the good ones. Union teachers don't have any of that.

  • georgesboukis

    Seriously? The educators are going to be the reformers? The city of Detroit consistently churns out illiterates, we are last in the nation, and you are blaming the administrators and politicians? Failures cannot negotiate on their own behalf, do you know why? Because they are FAILURES. They need to be removed, all of them. You don't need new buildings, or better books, or proper funding, or any of the other excuses that are always made whenever the teachers are confronted with their failure. You need Discipline, and Consequences, and you need to be realistic and have the will to throw out rotten apples for the sake of the good ones. Union teachers don't have any of that.

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