Tagged: endorsement

Last night we all learned that today would be the day when Governor Rick Snyder endorsed Mitt Romney for president.

This is a time-honored ritual, not all that different in some ways from waiting to see if Billy will ask Katie to the prom. But what nobody ever seems to ask is, what effect this all has?

I mean, will Joe Sixpack or Susie Salarywoman come home tonight, throw open the door and say, “Honey, did you hear the news?   Snyder endorsed Romney.  I guess that settles it for us.“

Of course not. Years ago, an old newspaper editorial writer said that when a newspaper endorses a candidate for President, it’s like wetting your pants wearing a dark suit.

It gives you a nice, warm feeling, and nobody notices.

Now that the Florida primary is over, we’re bound to see increasing media attention on Michigan. We’re the next big state to hold a primary election, though not till the end of the month.

Native son Mitt Romney is heavily favored, but the fact that Newt Gingrich badly needs a win somewhere means we may see a fair amount of campaigning here.

It’s also possible that this will turn into a battle not about winning, but about beating the expectations game. For example, if Newt were to finish a strong second in a state supposedly solidly for Romney that might be seen as a victory even if he technically lost.

Well, this changes things. Since former West Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra announced he would run for the Republican nomination to try and unseat Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow in 2012, he was considered by many to be the GOP race’s frontrunner.

But, yesterday, three high-profile Republicans endorsed a candidate who isn’t really even a candidate yet. Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis (who, at one point earlier this year, was thought to maybe want to throw his hat into the Senatorial race himself), former U.S. Senator Spence Abraham (who lost his Senate seat to Senator Stabenow in 2000), and ex-Michigan Republican Chairwomen Betsy DeVos have announced that they will back Clark Durant in the GOP race.

Durant, however, has not yet entered the race. From the Associated Press:

Durant is a charter school executive. He tells The Associated Press he hasn't yet declared his candidacy, but the endorsement "makes it so much easier to make that decision." Durant lost a Senate primary bid in 1990.

Anuzis, Abraham, and DeVos announced their support for Durant in an open-letter posted on Anuzis' website. An excerpt: