Talking Michigan Politics

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder and GVSU's Matt McLogan analyze Tuesday night's primary election results.

1. Governor's race. What's it all mean? Did voters send a clear message with support for Rick Snyder or was it just good strategy dividing up the GOP base between Hoekstra and Cox? Snyder stunned observers by carrying most of the state outside the counties (see map) in Pete Hoekstra's Congressional district and a few scattered in other places.

2. The Congressional races. How did Bill Huizenga pull it off in the Lakeshore's sprawling 2nd district after being out-raised and out-spent? What kind of money and outside groups will be involved in the fall race between Justin Amash and Patrick Miles Jr.?

3. Local Senate and state House races. Results in the Grand Rapids-based 29th District set up a good general election battle between Republican Dave Hildenbrand and Democrat David LaGrand. Also, analysis of the 72nd, 75th and 86th state House races.

Analysis of political issues in Grand Rapids, Michigan and nationwide by the staff of The Grand Rapids Press.

Is Virg Bernero pulling ahead in the Democratic race for governor? On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder and GVSU's Matt McLogan discuss that race, analyze Congressional and state legislative races and voter turnout projections.

Governor's race Polls show Democratic Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has overcome and is leading House Speaker Andy Dillon in myriad parts of the state.

How is his populist message resonating? On the Republican side, Attorney General Mike Cox took more hits from the Manoogian Mansion-stripper story that won't go away, but his support remains strong. Meanwhile, Rick Snyder may be surging in other polls.

Other races: Analysis and some predictions in 2nd and 3rd Congressional, 29th and 30th state Senate and state House districts: 72, 73, 75, 77, 86 and 89.

Voter turnout The Secretary of State's office projects 1.7 million people will vote Tuesday, which would be about 23 percent. That's based on absentee ballot returns and past primary election turnout. In 1982 and 2002, the last times there were multi-candidate primaries in both parties, turnout was 29 percent and 25 percent respectively.

Will the Tea Party have an impact in some specifically targeted U.S. House races?

New polls in the governor's race, Club for Growth attack ads and voter turnout are the topics on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast with Jeff Cranson, political editor at the Grand Rapids Press and Matt McLogan, vice president of university relations for Grand Valley State University.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, recorded in a quieter setting, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss whether people pining for Ronald Reagan truly understand how he governed, campaign finance lawsuits, new developments in the race for governor of Michigan, and what it means for Gov. Granholm that President Obama is making a stop in Holland:

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press politics editor Jeff Cranson and editorial page editor Ed Golder talk about money in the governor's race, a case before the state Supreme Court concerning allegations of Meijer secretly promoting the recall of township officials near Traverse City, and Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver bolting the GOP.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss the changing face of the Michigan governor's race, a flurry of endorsements for Grand Rapids-area Congressional candidates, a lawsuit challenging Michigan's campaign finance limits and the patriotism of buying American.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about changing poll numbers in the governor's race and the Democratic debate in Grand Rapids, developments in the 3rd Congressional campaigns, and controversy surrounding film tax credits for the Grand Rapids Hangar42 project.

Conversation starters:

• Ed on Asian carp making it past the barrier

• Jeff on pro-life and pro-choice groups finding common ground in New York as an organization seeks to make adoption a subject at abortion clinics.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about the Michigan Truth Squad, the Michigan governors race and the challenges in remaking the nation's energy policy.

Links to topics discussed:

• Michigan Truth Squad

• A new poll in Michigan's gubernatorial race, and the campaigns feature few promises.

• President Obama's Oval Office address on the Gulf spill provokes more energy policy discussion. Jay Hakes, director of the Jimmy Carter Library and former head of the federal Energy Information Office, laid it out in his 2008 book, A Declaration of Energy Independence.

Conversation starters:

• Ed on the Saville report on Bloody Sunday.

• Jeff on the nuclear option to cap the big hole in the bottom of the Gulf.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about:

Big endorsements in the governor's race: Attorney General Mike Cox picks up the support of Grand Rapids GOP powers Dick and Betsy DeVos, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and possibly Right To Life of Michigan Thursday.

Is it quid pro quo with the Chamber and RTL because the DeVoses donate generously to both groups? The Chamber's PACs are building a fund balance to fight a Constitutional Convention proposal on the fall ballot and to protect Justice Robert Young.

The DeVos decision to back Cox also may hearken to the Engler-Betsy DeVos divide as U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, despite his West Michigan home and Fox News persona, would be perceived as likely to govern more like Engler than an uncompromising ideologue.

Voter frustration: In 1994, the last time the anger meter was pegged this high, Republicans seized control of the U.S. House after a 40-year Democratic reign.

Two years before, with similar numbers, West Michigan voters tossed out veteran incumbent U.S. Rep. Guy VanderJagt in favor of a bike-riding GOP businessman named Pete Hoekstra. Just how this kind of voter anger plays out in August primaries and the November election could shape Michigan’s political landscape for years to come.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, just 49 percent of Americans approve of their own representative in Congress, first time since 1994 that is has fallen beneath 50 percent. Just 29 percent are inclined to elect their representative, fewest since 1989. Sixty percent are inclined to look for someone else - the most on record. See Sunday's Press.

Immigration reform: How does Obama balance his need to woo the burgeoning Hispanic voter population with polls that show most Americans support the Arizona immigration law?

Conversation starters:

• Ed on Chinese workers are flexing a little muscle, looking to share in the economic growth that has gone mostly to business owners. Has the potential to create a consumer class in China, and perhaps to expand the limits of freedom.

• Jeff on Kiplinger's newest top cities list, where Topeka, Kan., cracks the top 10.