Gov. Rick Snyder won a tough re-election despite running an oddly unconventional campaign. Credit voter recognition of the progress Michigan has made under Snyder's leadership, and the failure of the much-hyped Democratic voter turnout machine to materialize, Nolan Finley writes in the Detroit News.
This election was always about Snyder. Voters came to the polls to either vote for the governor or against him. And to their credit, they supported a governor who pulled them out of a deep economic hole and is steadily building an economy for the future.
On paper, Snyder's re-election should never have been in doubt. He's the incumbent governor of a state on the rebound, and incumbents rarely get beat in Michigan, particularly during an economic upswing.
But Snyder's CEO-style of politicking makes it harder for him to connect on an emotional level with voters.
He's always insisted effective governing is a substitute for political campaigning, and was proved right, although in the process he gave his team ulcers. He felt his bottom line was in pretty good shape, and that ought to be enough to sway voters.
Snyder allowed his challenger to linger mostly because he hates politics. That was perfectly illustrated by his Election Day schedule. While Schauer was hopping like a jack rabbit across the state mining every last vote, Snyder made two appearances and spent the rest of a quiet day with family.
Meanwhile, the Free Press, in an unsigned editorial, advises the Democrats to pick better candidates.
And if you're stuck with a weak candidate, says the paper -- which endorsed Snyder to the surprise of many readers -- run a better campaign.
The Democrats did neither. And so Republican Gov. Rick Snyder won a second term Tuesday night, handily over challenger Mark Schauer.
For Snyder, this is absolution: Michiganders have weighed in on some of the governor's most unpopular policies — and they hired him again, despite right to work, or a tax on pensions, or denying state benefits for same-sex partners.
Thanks to those decisions, Snyder should have been vulnerable to a capable Democratic challenger with a well-run campaign. (A few other tips for the Dems: If you want to be governor, you've got to court Oakland County. And a robust absentee ballot strategy isn't enough to secure a win.)
