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Poll shows Michigan voters lack enthusiasm for party politics Source: Detroit Free Press Publication date: 2009-11-22 --Nov. 22--Think of this as the calm before the snowstorm. Much of the politicking so far in the race to become Gov. Jennifer Granholm's successor on Jan. 1, 2011, has been behind the scenes or with smaller groups of intense partisans. Come January, the more visible part of the campaigns -- which will get really intense as the Aug. 3 primary approaches -- will be unveiled. A poll released exclusively to the Free Press today shows voters aren't too excited, or perhaps too engaged, yet. Lt. Gov. John Cherry is the Democratic Party's handpicked choice, but he's generating little enthusiasm among voters. And the Republican race seems wide open as U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, Attorney General Mike Cox, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and others jockey for position. In fact, this could be the year for an independent candidate to find traction, the poll suggests. But who could be the Jesse Ventura of Michigan? This could be the year for an independent Could 2010 be a Jesse Ventura kind of year in Michigan? Well, only if we have a Jesse Ventura, the former pro wrestler who rocked Minnesota's political landscape by running as an independent and winning the governor's office in 1998. But the results of a new poll suggest Michiganders are more than willing to consider an unconventional candidate for governor. Fully 54% of voters surveyed this month by Denno-Noor, an East Lansing-based polling firm, said they were "likely" or "very likely" to consider an independent rather than a Republican or Democrat next year. Only 12% said they definitely would not. That lack of enthusiasm for traditional politics showed up in questions about the two parties' current field of candidates as well, with none garnering more than a 21% share of the vote. The prospects appear to be most daunting for the Democrats, where an overwhelming number -- 59% -- said they didn't know which of five candidates they wanted to vote for in the August 2010 primary. That's bad news for Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who has locked down the support of much of the party establishment but is still favored by just 1 in 5 (20%) of likely Democratic primary voters. Trailing Cherry are state House Speaker Andy Dillon, who hasn't said he's running, and former Michigan State University football coach George Perles, both with 6%, and state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith and former state Rep. John Freeman, with 2% each. Perles, Smith and Freeman all have said they're running. "The willingness to vote for an independent is just stunning," said Kelly Rossman-McKinney, whose Lansing public relations firm sponsored the poll along with Denno-Noor and the Perricone Group. "No one in the field currently has overwhelming support," she said. "People are less and less and less inclined to think that partisan politics is the winning way." Fewer Republicans are undecided, with three of five candidates attracting double-digit support. U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra leads the way with 21%. He's followed by Attorney General Mike Cox, 15%, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, 13%, Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, 5%, and state Sen. Tom George, 3%. Each of the top three GOP candidates relied heavily on support from their home turf, Hoekstra in west Michigan, Cox in Wayne County and Bouchard in Oakland County. Pollster Dennis Denno said Republicans could take heart in another poll finding -- that voters' overall preference for Democrats seems to be on the wane after a series of electoral setbacks for the GOP. In response to a question about which party's candidate voters prefer in legislative races, Democrats led by a single percentage point, 25% to 24%. Not very impressive, Denno said, when 45% of the voters surveyed said they are Democrats or lean Democratic. That could change in coming months as the more public phase of the campaign gets under way, he said. But it will be critical for Democratic candidates, especially Cherry, to define themselves and the party in ways that re-energize the voters who backed them in 2008, Denno said. The likelihood of an independent candidate stepping in to fill the energy void would seem to be low. No one has ever run for governor under the current rules for independent candidates (dozens of minor party candidates have been on the ballot). Dillon has been mentioned as a potential independent, but has said that if he runs, it will be as a Democrat. If that's the case, Dillon will have to do without Merton Headley's vote. Headley, 75, of South Lyon said he's pretty much ruled out voting for a Democrat or a Republican in 2010. "I feel like every politician, for the city, for the state, federal ... every one of 'em ... is a bunch of crooks. I'm really fed up with the whole mess. Democrat ... Republican. They're all the same party." Contact DAWSON BELL: 517-372-8661 or dbell@freepress.com Related content Going independent To run as an independent candidate for governor in Michigan, a candidate must: --Collect at least 30,000 petition signatures from registered voters (twice the minimum required for Democratic and Republican candidates). --Demonstrate geographical reach by collecting at least 100 signatures in at least eight of Michigan's 15 congressional districts. --Do it within 180 days, and turn them in to the Secretary of State by July 15. ----- To see more of the Detroit Free Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.freep.com Copyright (c) 2009, Detroit Free Press Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. Publication date: 2009-11-22© 2009, YellowBrix, Inc. |
