This Week in PM Blogging:
Is Rick Snyder our governor or a snake oil salesman? It’s kind of difficult to tell from his latest ad.
#MICalling: Michigan Families Demand Answers from Gov. Snyder
In a rare opportunity to ask Gov. Snyder some tough questions, we provided Q&A information and sample questions to Michigan voters.
To get the biggest reach out of our Q&A info, we sent out a Thunderclap to nearly 300,000 people. As it turns out, people are interested in holding Gov. Snyder accountable.
Residents of Michigan’s most polluted community are fed up. They’re fed up with corporate polluters poisoning the air they breath and they’re fed up with Terri Lynn Land supporting policies that would allow them to do it.
TWIP Clips:
Debating Debates
Sometimes politicians take questions, talk a lot, but never really say anything or answer the question.
Perfect example: Terri Lynn Land
A reporter asked a simple question, “So you’re not going to debate?”
Land went into full-on talking point rapid-fire mode while dodging the question.
“We’ll let the folks that deal with those issues do that,” she said. “And as I mentioned, we’ve already shared the stage with Congressman Peters and we look forward to many conversations with voters.”
Important Note: Sharing a stage is not a debate.
The reporter followed up with a question that basically amounted to, “C’mon. Do you want to debate or not?”
Land’s response — without hesitation: “We will continue talking to Michigan voters and talk about putting Michigan first.”
This is at least the second time on camera that Land has dodged the debate question.
“I’m always willing to talk to Michigan voters” was another response she gave to another “yes or no” type question on debates.”
One thing I noticed in both videos is that when Land dodges the question. She says the “willing to talk to voters” bit and smiles like she knows her answer is a BS copout.
Voters will have an opportunity — for once — to hear Terri Lynn Land without her handlers by her side. Land will be on Michigan Radio’s “Michigan Calling” program on October 3rd. Mark your calendars and have your tough questions ready.
#MICalling for answers
If you didn’t get a chance to listen to Gov. Snyder’s interview on Michigan Radio with call-in questions and MPR’s Rick Pluta, here’s a link to the interview. It’s definitely worth a listen or two.
Our executive director, Lonnie Scott, gave a simple, yet perfect, breakdown of how Snyder handled each question.
If someone pointed out a problem with Snyder’s record, they were wrong or had “bad information.” If bad things happened, he blamed other administrations, unions or the federal government. If you were looking for a solution to the problem, Snyder punted the responsibility and expectation of action to the legislature.
No leadership. No accountability. That’s my takeaway from his radio appearance. Unfortunately, I didn’t expect much else.
Progressive Reads:
Snyder defends tax on pensions, downplays $1.8B tax cut to businesses
Will Land debate? She’s not sayin’
Leonard Pitts Jr.: An Uzi, a 9-year-old and American exceptionalism
My Feminist Awakening & the Influence of Beyonce’s Pop Culture Declaration
Snyder is a terrible governor and Land is not qualified to be a sitting senator. They’re both running fast and hard from their positions and Snyder from the damage he has inflicted on Michigan. Vote Blue November 4, 2014 and make sure neither is in office in January 2015. Period.