Will Former GOP Officials Be Able To Persuade Republican Voters That Biden Is The Lesser Evil?

Tuesday, The Circus ran a piece on Kellyanne Conway in which she predicted that "hidden Trump voters" would be out in force on November 3rd to save the day for the Orange Menace. "As the person who coined the term, 'hidden undercover Trump voter in 2016,' there are even more of them and they’re even more committed now, and they’re going to surprise you as to who they are this time."

But are there hidden undercover Biden voters too? Republicans who have never voted for Democrats in their lives but who cannot, eyes wide open, vote for Trump again? Yesterday a couple hundred Republicans and Independents announced that they're voting for Biden. Christine Todd Whitman, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, noted that while Bixden is a "decent man, a steady man, Trump is trying to paint the world of Joe Biden as horrific-- but that’s Trump’s America now." According to Reuters reporter Tim Reid "She accused Trump of betraying conservative values by undermining the rule of law and national security, lying, dividing Americans along racial lines, and failing the country in his response to the coronavirus pandemic."

Michigan Democrats don't remember Governor Rick Snyder with anything but contempt, but Michigan Republicans still respect and admire the man who they elected governor in 2011 and 2015. Yesterday he kicked off this new effort with an appeal directly to Republicans in an OpEd, I am a Republican vote for Biden, for USA Today, painting Trump as a bully without a moral compass.

Forty-four years ago, I celebrated my 18th birthday at the 1976 Republican National Convention as part of Gerald Ford’s national youth group. At that convention, I had the honor to watch two great leaders in action-- Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. I have remained a lifelong Republican and proudly announced Michigan’s support for Mitt Romney in 2012 from the front row of the Republican convention in Tampa.

I will continue to support and stand up for Republican policies and values, and support Republican candidates, but I will not support Donald Trump for reelection.

Trump has not unified the nation

When elected to office, you do not represent only your supporters, you represent all of your constituents. That is your job. I was at the nation’s Capitol when Trump gave his inaugural address. I had hoped this first speech as president would be a message to unify a divided nation. Instead, I heard a speech directed at how he would help the people who supported him. And sadly, that is how President Trump continues to govern.

Furthermore, President Trump’s answer to people who oppose or disagree with them is to be verbally abusive. In other words, he is a bully.

A great leader treats people with respect even when they present different opinions. Without a variety of views and opinions, we would have no innovation or creativity in our nation. Being a bully and being strong are not the same thing. Being strong is standing up for your convictions. Being a bully is trying to intimidate those who are perceived to be weaker or a threat. As a proud nerd, I had to deal with bullies over many years; it is tragedy watching our world suffer from one.

In addition, President Trump lacks a moral compass. He ignores the truth.

Facts and science matter. Good decisions should be based on facts and supported by sound scientific theory whenever possible.

President Trump also has demonstrated that he does not fully appreciate public policy matters, including public health, the economy and foreign relations, nor does he seem to want to learn.

While we have had a strong economy during his term, it reminds me of the old expression that it is better to be lucky than smart. Some regulatory reforms have been helpful. But his tax reform was a failure. It didn’t have real long-term value, enriched large corporations and violated the basic principles of good tax reform to be simple, fair, and efficient. In the foreign policy area, there have been some good agreements, but overall, our nation is no longer respected as a leader on world affairs.

Not supporting Donald Trump for reelection is not the same thing as voting for Joe Biden.

Bringing back civility to the nation

I had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Biden when he served as vice president. My interactions were always constructive and respectful. He has shown the desire to heal a deeply divided nation; has demonstrated strong moral character and empathy; and he seems willing to listen to people who have different perspectives from his own.

For years, I mentioned in most of my speeches the need to bring back civility to our nation. We will not continue to be the greatest nation in the world if we can’t get along among ourselves. We have only become more divided over the past four years. We need a leader who believes in civility and bringing Americans closer together.

While I am endorsing Joe Biden for president, I am still a Republican who also will be publicly supporting Republican candidates at the local, state and federal level.

My weekly column signoff is-- “Remember, Relentless Positive Action (RPA) in your life will help you and others. So, I wish you RPA every day!” RPA is a philosophy of no credit, no blame, and solving problems in a relentless fashion. Never in our nation’s history have we needed RPA more. I hope you will join me and help others by using Relentless Positive Action to elect Joe Biden as America’s next president.

Retired Michigan Republicans congressmen Joe Schwarz and Dave Trott jumped right on board, each endorsing Biden.

Another Republican Congressman Calling It Quits-- Michigan Foreclosure King Dave Trott Heads For The Hills

Dave Trott, the guy who made a living evicting little old ladies from their homes during snow storms, is the latest congressional Republican announcing his retirement. A- Excellent! B- If there was a competent DCCC there would never have been a Congressman Trott to begin with. DCCC chair Steve Israel boosted him by undercutting his progressive opponent who was guilty of the crime of being Muslim. Yeah, you thought it was only Republicans with that kind warped degenerate mind? Nope Pelosi pulled Blue Dog scumbag Steve Israel out of the toilet to head her DCCC-- twice!

Trott was first elected in 2014 after beating a pyscho-teabagger Kerry Bentivolio, in a district covering the suburns west and northwest of Detroit-- southern Oakland County (Troy, Birmingham, Novi, Wixon, Bloomfield Hills) and western Wayne County (Livonia, Northville, Plymouth). Obama won the district, narrowly, in 2008 and, after gerrymandering, lost in narrowly in 2012. Last year it was Trump's worst-performing of the 9 GOP-held Michigan districts. He beat Clinton 49.7% to 45.3%. The DCCC had no interest in helping the Democratic candidate there-- Anil Kumar-- and Trott was reelected with just 52.9% of the vote, the worst performance for any Michigan Republican incumbent, although-- of course-- the DCCC spent millions in other districts on dirty GOP-lite Blue Dogs. Kumar absolutely would have beaten Trott had someone blown up the DCCC in 2015.

This cycle, the Democrats have a candidate, Haley Stevens, who probably could have beaten Trott. She was the chief of staff for the Obama administration’s auto bailout and her unparalleled expertise in manufacturing is sorely lacking inside the halls of Congress; she’s an excellent fit for the district.

Trott is a garden variety rubber stamp Republican with a 97.6% Trump adhesion score, about as bad as it comes. On Monday he announced that "This was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I have decided that the best course for me is to spend more time with my family and return to the private sector."

Political analysts at the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball promptly changed their ratings for Michigan’s 11th District from “likely” Republican to a toss-up to reflect Democrats’ increased chances of flipping the seat.

“Midterm elections typically are challenging for the presidential party, particularly if the president is unpopular, as Donald Trump is at the moment,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

“So while MI-11 is a Republican-leaning district ... a favorable Democratic environment could easily put it in play, and Democrats could very well nominate a strong challenger.”

President Donald Trump won the district by about 4.5 percentage points last fall-- slightly worse than Mitt Romney fared in the well-educated, affluent district in 2012, Kondik noted.

Trott’s retirement comes as another Michigan congressman, GOP Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph, pushed back against rumors that he’s leaving Congress.

Upton, a member of the U.S. House since 1987, is still considering running for re-election or for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

“Fred is very happy with his day job and very focused on the work he’s doing for our region and state,” Upton spokesman Tom Wilbur said. “He is exploring all of his options, but retirement is not in the cards.”

Trott’s post-congressional plans were not immediately clear. In the House, Trott sits on the Committee on Financial Services, which he joined earlier year.

Trott was taking substantial bribes from the banksters he was charged, as a member of the Financial Services Committee, with overseeing. Since getting to Congress, Trott has gobbled up $614,065 in legalistic bribes from the crooks he's consistently voted to deregulate. This cycle Stevens was matching him dollar for dollar in the fund-raising department As of the June 30 FEC reporting deadline, Trott had $284,191 in his campaign war chest and Stevens had $281,387. MI-11 is clearly the Democrats' best shots for flipping a red seat blue and not even the regular gross incompetence will cause the DCCC to fail to see the viability of Stevens. This is what she told us last night:

"This is a new moment. My campaign is about people, our community, and working families. I am running for Congress to usher in a 21st century labor movement, to address the broken system that has resulted in over 40% of Michigan families being unable to pay for basic necessities, where student loan debt topples an average of $30,000. The time is now to send a new and progressive voice to Washington and be a real voice representing the people of Michigan's 11th district. Yes we can and yes we will."

The DCCC Has Proven They Can't Win Seats In Michigan; Maybe Haley Stevens Can Teach Them How To

Last year the most winnable Republican-held seat in Michigan was the 11th district, cut out of Oakland and Wayne counties northwest of Detroit and Dearborn. It carefully skirts Pontiac but stretches awkwardly from Troy and Birmingham in the east to Novi and Livonia to the west. Trump didn’t do as well as Romney did but he narrowly beat Hillary, 49.7% to 45.3% in the district. Although the incompetent and corrupt DCCC chose to waste millions of dollars in other districts, promoting Blue Dog conservatives with no chance to win, they steered clear of MI-11 where a progressive, Anil Kumar, did better against David Trott than any of the DCCC did against their opponents. Kumar held Trott to a 52.9% win and the district looks like to flip-- unless the DCCC sabotages the Democratic candidate again-- in 2018.

The most prominent candidate to emerge so far is Haley Stevens, who was born and raised in Rochester Hills. That she lived in DC while working as chief of staff for the Obama administration’s auto bailout, has caused Trott’s desperate campaign to try to label her a “carpetbagger.” No one’s buying it, especially not from the out-of-touch former foreclosure king. Her expertise in manufacturing is sorely lacking inside the halls of Congress and she’s an excellent fit for the district. We asked her to introduce herself by explaining a little about what she is offering folks in MI-11 that Trott isn't providing. Her guest post is below and you can visit her website here and if you’d like, contribute to her campaign as well.

In Michigan, I See the Future of America
-by Haley Stevens

The great innovation, export and import engine epitomizing 20th century economic might rises today to tell a new story.

Today, Michigan boasts 75% of the country’s autonomous vehicle research and development. In 2006, Google’s first office outside of Silicon Valley moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. And our freshwater lakes still remain the envy of the world.

Michigan innovation, and occasionally our natural resources, are just as connected to Silicon Valley as they are to us; and Silicon Valley needs Michigan a great deal.

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, in his Harvard graduation address declared, “We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP, but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful.”

As a policy maker, I invite this conversation and opportunity to shine a light on the true spirit of human capabilities and our future economy.

Many people live to work and are lucky enough to find community and passion in their work. The men and women I have met in manufacturing offices and on shop floors over the past decade stand proud of their daily output. At the same time, the United States maintains a skills gap as defined by hundreds of thousands of open manufacturing positions that go unfilled each year. There is an overwhelming demand from companies of all sizes for welders, computer numerical controls operators, and technicians, but there are just not enough qualified people to fill these jobs.

Many emerging and mid-sized companies driving the maker economy are fighting for technology and manufacturing talent just to stay afloat. We are in a newfound competitive skills environment where computer and coding skills meet traditional manufacturing work.

Coding and computer science must make their way into school curricula from an early age, whereas we can make skills obtainment in these fields universal and affordable. We can lower the barrier to entry and even the playing field so everyone competes fairly for jobs and available work.

During my years spent running a multi-million-dollar future of work agenda funded by the Department of Defense, I frequently cited the importance of analog skills meeting digital requirements. I’ll tip my hat to Mark Zuckerberg on this point, who also said last month, “as technology keeps changing, we need to focus more on continuous education throughout our lives.”

Overnight global technology advances more rapidly than policymakers can put their pens to paper, and as a result we find ourselves going into the quarter 21st century mark with profound questions looming.

What is the role and value of human work? Now more than ever we can encourage, foster, and place value on the bounty of human work and human driven experiences.

These questions centralize on the critical role policy makers play working in tandem with industry leaders to determine outcomes, catalyze growth and ultimately the value of our work.

I’m prepared to be one policy maker leading the charge. Alongside the Michigan innovation story, my central motivations to run for Congress in Michigan’s-11th district comprising metro-Detroit are to promote a true progressive agenda that holds current and reckless leadership accountable. As a lifelong Democrat running for Congress my message for the party and to voters is: The value of work matters, each individual life matters, and that is why we do what we do; because your health, our environment and the richness of our economy for everyone matters.

While the economy has been growing in Michigan since coming out of the Great Recession, it has only been growing for a few. Incomes have remained stagnant.

We feel it: we could all be a little better off and our children’s future could appear brighter, student loan debt not as burdensome or non-existent if we choose to address this looming problem vis-à-vis collaborative, industry driven solutions before debt is even incurred.

By coming together with industry leaders, chambers, universities, and associations for pro-growth, inclusive solutions; government leaders are in a poignant position to address the challenges that have left so many hard-working people behind. And to top it off, government can find a way to remove itself as necessary and promote efficiency. Identifying where the government can come in as a strategic partner is where leading policy makers can make a proven difference.

By seeking an office in the nation’s capital and asking everyone I know to support me in any way they can, I am also making a bet on the future and declaring it exists right here in southeastern Michigan with our world class workforce, technology hubs, and our overwhelming ability to innovate. Something my opponent, two term Republican incumbent Dave Trott who has profited off his peculiar and disappointing foreclosure business does not know much about.

“Detroit hustles harder” is the saying that emerged in the throes of the Great Recession, and today that note continues to ring throughout our region. And that’s because in Michigan we know the value and meaning of hard-work, it is in our blood and we don’t stop.