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Joint Primary Update: Did he really just say that?By Nick, Section News
 After last week's action in the Senate to approve a joint Presidential primary on January 15 and statements of support from both Michigan Republicans and Michigan Democrats (including Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow) one might think the House would follow-up and get things going when they came back to work this week. Thus far that hasn't happened, and, according to the Chairman of the House Ethics and Elections Committee, he has no plans at all to even bring the issue up for debate in his committee. According to Lansing insider publication Gongwer, Democrat Marc Corriveau said he doesn't like the idea for two reasons. First, he doubts that the majority of Michigan voters like the idea. Second, during a fiscal crisis it's too expensive to hold an election. Wait, what? The good Representative from Northville is pretty new at this whole state rep thing so I'll try to cut him a little bit of slack but... but... he's not exactly pushing himself into the running for the smartest-man-in-Lansing competition. Read on...
On point one, the same day he tells Gongwer he doesn't think Michigan voters like the idea a new poll comes out through the governor's own pollster, Fast Eddy Sarpolus, showing that 90% of those polled think it's important to have some sort of primary.
Asked specifically about holding a joint primary as being discussed and approved by the Senate and that number is still at 70%! So there's that. But hey, Marc has an excuse. Maybe he hadn't seen the poll when he made his statement. On point number two he just plain looks silly. Apparently the Representative isn't aware that under current statute Michigan WILL hold a primary next February. It's already on the books. It's been on the books. It's not new. That added expense he's worried about doesn't exist! Moving the date won't add a single penny to the tab. It's hard to believe anyone in Lansing could be that ill-informed. Has Corriveau made an endorsement in the POTUS race? Has he picked a horse that would benefit from scuttling a closed primary? Is there something else going on here? I won't pretend to be knowledgeable enough about the inner-workings of MDP party politics to make a call there but I know enough from my time in and around MRP that when you're dealing with an issue like the method of delegate selection there's always SOMETHING going on. Frankly, shenanigans might be the best case scenario here. Because if Corriveau isn't just playing games with the process then he has an appalling lack of knowledge about the state and the laws on the books. Not the sort of thing that engenders confidence in the Democrat majority.
Joint Primary Update: Did he really just say that? | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)
Joint Primary Update: Did he really just say that? | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 hidden)
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