Is The Michigan GOP Collapsing Around Their Heads? And Just In Time For The Elections

Every 4 years the Republican Party establishment declares Michigan is in play. Except it never is. George W. Bush lost the state both times-- with 46.1% in 2000 and four years later, as an incumbent, with 47.8%. In 2008 McCain lost with 41% and then in 2012, hometown hero, Mitt Romney, crashed and burned with 44.7%. But Trump has boasted he would turn around the GOP's 3 decade long losing streak. A new poll released by the Detroit News indicates otherwise. Trump is viewed favorably by only 27.3% of Michigan voters, unfavorably by 59.5%. Hillary isn't looked at especially well either-- 30.5% favorle, 57.2% unfavorable-- but in head-to-head match-ups she beats Trump 43-38.5% (and with Gary Johnson taking 11.5%, she wins with 36.8% against Trump's 32.7%). It's worth noting that Bernie's favorables among Michiganders in the poll is 42.8%, the only candidate with higher favorables than unfavorables. In a head-to-head matchup between Trump and Bernie, Bernie does MUCH better than Hillary's 4.5 point lead; Bernie beats Trump by 19 points-- 51.7% to 33%.

The Republican Party brand is in the toilet in Michigan and although Trump may be making it worse, he didn't wreck the party himself. Governor Rick Snyder did. Snyder poisoned Flint with his anti-democracy jihad in Flint. Luckily for the NRCC, the DCCC isn't making a serious effort in Michigan this year-- running a lame/loser candidate, Lon Johnson in the open 1st district, refusing to back grassroots progressive Paul Clements against Fred Upton in the vulnerable 6th district and only seriously looking at one seat, MI-07, where they are backing Gretchen Driskell against teabagger incumbent Tim Walberg. They don't have candidates in the 11th, the open 10th, the 8th, the 4th, the 3rd, or the 2nd. (But Pelosi wants you to contribute money to the DCCC and lies to you that they have a plan to take back Congress because... Trump. Not without plausible candidates they can't.

Anyway, yesterday, the Detroit News reported that the author of the Michigan GOP's current woes, Governor Snyder, has decided to not endorse Trump. Maybe Trump asked him to not endorse him. He told the Detroit News editorial board that he's too busy working for Michigan to weigh in on the presidential race.

The Republican governor’s neutrality in the presidential race is in contrast to his lieutenant governor, Brian Calley, who recently urged fellow Republicans to unite behind Trump’s candidacy to keep Democrat Hillary Clinton out of the White House.

Snyder said he’s more focused on helping Republicans this fall retain the majority in the Michigan House of Representatives.

“When I look at the upcoming election in November, my biggest issue is hopefully re-electing the House, because I think that’s important,” Snyder told The News. “We’ve had a great partnership there, and I think it’d be great to continue that.”

...A Republican-led House committee on Wednesday advanced House Speaker Kevin Cotter’s proposed constitutional amendment that would change civil service rules and make it easier to fire state workers, including environmental department employees blamed for the Flint water crisis.

Democrats have accused Republicans led by Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, of trying to capitalize on anger over the Flint crisis to weaken longstanding employment protections for state workers, but Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel on Wednesday accused one Democrat who voted against the proposal of siding with “deep pocketed, Big-Labor contributors.”

Yes, that's how seriously Michigan Republicans are taking their dilemma. Luckily for them, Snyder's term isn't over until 2018.