Tag: John Cherry

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Lieutenant Governor John Cherry ended his gubernatorial campaign with an announcement at noon.

Veteran Capitol reporter Tim Skubick, via WLNS and MIRS first reported the news, followed by RightMichigan.com overnight.

Cherry's decision comes in the wake of months of internal and public polling that indicates all major Republican candidates beat or come close to beating Governor Jennifer Granholm's heir-apparent.

With Cherry's departure, the Democratic Party primary for governor is wide-open. House Speaker Andy Dillon may run if the Democrats can cope with a nominally pro-life candidate.

Most recently, a Rasmussen poll conducted for Detroit-based WJBK (FOX 2) reported Cherry lost to Congressman Pete Hoekstra by 14 points, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard by 10 points and Attorney General Mike Cox by 6 points.

Cherry's favorable rating of 35 percent is also dismal, while Hoekstra has a 50-26 percent favorable/unfavorable rating.

It's also an early sign that the White House wants to avoid a repeat of 2009 when Republicans picked up the governor mansions in New Jersey and Virginia.

This also means Cherry realized he can't escape his dismissal record as the governor's helpmate for the past seven years; a period of time that saw one family leave Michigan every 12 minutes for a brighter future.

It's a record of failed leadership -- including the Granholm-Cherry-Dillon tax increase of 2007 that put the final nail in the coffin of businesses on main streets across Michigan.

It's a record of a broken state with the worst economy in the country, crumbling infrastructure, struggling schools and cash-strapped local governments.

Most importantly, it's a record that can't be defended.

Michigan has waived goodbye to her future. She has lost too many future doctors, scientists, engineers, job-creators, teachers and innovators because of Granholm and Cherry.

Cherry said Michigan's underground water belongs to the public. Cherry said the tax would generate $118 million, with $100 million earmarked for the Michigan Promise grants.

About 96,000 Michigan university students had expected Promise grants this school year ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.

You see, John, the reason we are losing our talented and energy filled youth is because there are no longer enough jobs or wealth in this state, you know, the one that your political party has been running with an iron fist for the past seven years. (Longer than that if you count powerful union influences and the bottomless money pit of Detroit.)

15.2% Unemployment - Muskegon Chronicle October 22, 2009

Nearly One Million Jobs Lost in the Past 10 Years - WJRT TV, November, 11 2009

For the latest reports, follow Dennis Lennox on Twitter.

MACKINAC ISLAND -- With new polls showing the heir-apparent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm struggling to gain traction in the face of strong Republican challengers, Lt. Gov. John Cherry is skipping an open forum in favor of holding closed-door fund-raisers with lobbyists and special interests.

Cherry, who is facing no declared opposition for the Democratic Party's nomination for governor in 2010, has made headlines after announcing he wouldn't partake in the Detroit Regional Chamber's forum with 2010 gubernatorial candidates.

On Wednesday, two polls were released that raise new concerns about Cherry's candidacy.

Despite being Granholm's lieutenant for eight years, the former state senator is having difficulty locking up voter support.

An EPIC/MRA poll for The Detroit News reports that a shocking 51 percent of self-identified Democrats are undecided on supporting Cherry.

At the same time, only 31 percent of Republican voters were undecided -- though the GOP field of candidates includes Attorney General Mike Cox, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, Congressman Pete Hoekstra, and Sen. Tom George.

Cox, Land, Hoekstra, and George will join Democratic Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith at the forum, while Cherry hides from voters, apparently unwilling to defend the Granholm-Cherry administration's record to a crowd of growing skeptics.

The Genesee County Republican Party (yes, Virginia, there is such a thing) welcomes the opportunity to tie Lt. Gov. John Cherry with Gov. Jennifer Granholm's record.  Not only does the Lt. Gov. have to convince nearly half a million newly unemployed to vote for him, but convince nearly a million Michigan Veterans why cutting their budget is a positive thing.