Nationally, Democrats are looking for big gains in the mid-term elections, but if the Michigan Democratic Party Web site is any indication, the Republicans have already won.
Of the eight headlines on the MDP home page June 27, five are about Dick DeVos, the Republican challenger to Democrat Jennifer Granholm. None are about Granholm.
Dig deeper into the Web site and it gets worse. The "News Archive" page on June 27, included 66 stories. Forty of the headlines were about Dick DeVos, focusing on all the bad things he has done or thought about doing, and all the lies he has told or thought about telling.
Negative campaigning is a valid thing to do, but the MDP doesn't seem to do much else, and some of the attacks are amateurish. One, dated April 18, actually reads "DeVos to Communist China President: “Welcome, Dear Comrade!” Redbaiting? In 2006?
President George W. Bush, or those dastardly Republicans in general, appeared in six headlines, two of which also included DeVos. Guilt by association, I guess.
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, both Republicans, were mentioned negatively in two headlines each. Ann Coulter even got a mention in a headline.
For news about Michigan Democrats and the Michigan Democratic Party, the "News Archive" included three headlines touting new television ads by the Michigan Democratic Party, one announcing the MDP's new Web site, one on Evan Bayh being the keynote speaker at the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, one on the passing of Detroit-area Democratic Leader Edward H. McNamara, one on Democratic National Committee rules and bylaws, one praising Michigan House Democrats, one on out-of-state trash (from Canada), one urging support of the Voting Rights Act, one about Cinco de Mayo celebrations, and one congratulating Sen. Carl Levin on being ranked one of the top ten senators in the nation by Time Magazine. While deserving of the notice, Sen. Levin isn't up for reelection this year.
Amazingly, at least to me, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer is mentioned in nine headlines in the MDP Web site's News Archive. Some are attacks on DeVos, some are announcements or comments on events such as Cesar Chavez Day. One announces that Brewer will attend the Democratic National Committee meeting in New Orleans. That the DNC meeting was held in New Orleans is mildly interesting. That Mark Brewer attended the meeting is not.
The National Democratic Party has struggled to find a coherent message in recent years. The Michigan arm of the party seems to have found a message: "Don't vote for the other guys! They're all cheats and liars!"
I would rather vote for a good candidate than against a poor one, and I plan to vote for Jennifer Granholm... again, but not based on any information on the MDP Web site's News Archive. Her name appeared in a headline only once out of 66 stories. What's worse, she had to share the headline with DeVos.
If this is the best Democrats can do to make the case for being elected, no wonder so many Americans vote Republican.
More later,
Russ
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