Payne: Election ’10 by the numbers (The Michigan View. com 11.5.10)

Posted by hpayne on November 5, 2010

As the dust settles on November 2, the numbers reveal a Michigan route of historic proportions and a referendum on the Granholm years. Or, as Detroit News columnist Dan Howes calls it: “The Lost Decade.”

“How bad did the gubernatorial race turn out for Virg Bernero?” writes our political editor Dan Calabrese. “Not only did he win only five of Michigan’s 83 counties, but four of them just barely gave him the nod.

“The Lansing State Journal reports that Bernero carried Ingham (where The Angry Mayor lives) by only four-tenths of a percent. Bernero also carried Wayne (61-39), Genesee (52-48), Washtenaw (50.4-49.6) and Gogebic (51-49) counties. By the way, remember when blue-collar Macomb County was considered a bellwether county for not only state but national elections? It went 62-38 for Snyder.”

The Detroit News’ history buff and View columnist, Jeff Hadden, judges the Democratic Party’s “Ground Zero”partisan base vote at 38 percent. A little guesswork, yes, but also calculated on the disastrous campaign of Jeffrey Fieger that lost to popular Gov. John Engler in 1998 – Engler’s third term when no one wanted to run against him because everyone knew it was a lock – by 62-38.

Thirty-eight percent. Ground Zero. Bernero won 40 percent, meaning that he won just 2 percent of voters other than those who still think Jimmy Carter was the greatest president of all time. Speaking of Carter, his veep and 1984 Reagan opponent, Walter Mondale, only won three states in his sacrificial lamb campaign. Practically Bernero-esque.

Want good Democratic news? Don’t look at the state Senate. Republicans gained six seats and now hold a staggering 26-12 majority. Calabrese again:

“The Republican majority (is) so enormous, the Democrats will be able to caucus in a booth at Burger King.” Oh, yes, and the Dems also lost their majority in the House.

But it was just the economy right? There’s nothing fundamental here. Michigan saw right through those racist, Tea Party right-wing nuts, right? Wrong. Steve Mitchell’s exit polling found voter favorability ratings for the conservative Tea Party movement running 53-37.

“Mad as hell and won’t take it anymore?” Won it, 61-26.

After eight years of Jennifer Granholm, that’s your political landscape. The worst governor in Michigan history? You be the judge. One last number: Unemployment is 13 percent.

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