Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Outside influences in the primary election ...

Over the course of the Democratic Primary for Congress in the 1st Congressional District the voters of NORTHERN MICHIGAN will become enlightened as to the candidate’s positions on issues concerning the 1st Congressional District. The degree of contrast between Gary McDowell and Derek J. Bailey will either persuade or dissuade us and the question will be finally decided on August 7th. Some of the contrasts between the candidates will be readily apparent while others may not be so obvious.

I have already begun to discern things in regards to McDowell’s campaign which disturb me and about which I’ve been blogging at “The Northern Michigan Democrat”,


Essentially, I noticed very early in McDowell’s candidacy that he had a sudden burst of endorsements and contributions coming from East Lansing, Detroit, California, Minnesota, Maryland and Washington, D.C. to name a few – all from either down state or outside the state of Michigan. This smacks of more than “politics as usual” – it says to me “the fix is in. It also says to me that although Gary McDowell was soundly defeated by Dan Benishek in 2010, rejected by NORTHERN MICHIGAN voters in a Congressional District that had been Democratic from 1993 – 2010, that there had been conversations outside the 1st District by people and organizations who had determined as early as 2010 that he, Gary McDowell, would represent NORTHERN MICHIGAN voters and that they would determine how he will vote on a variety of issues. My feeling is that no one person or organization gives that much money to a primary candidate – not a formal candidate but a “primary candidate” – unless they want something in return.
 These decisions were made in the proverbial “ back rooms” somewhere other than NORTHERN MICHIGANI’m uncomfortable with that.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN voters deserve to be a part of any conversation regarding who will be their Representative and that’s why we have a PRIMARY ELECTION process.

We should be comfortable that our Representative is our voice in Congress and that our interests haven’t been compromised by deal making and shady politics.

This 2012 Democratic Primary election on August 7th is of the utmost import to every voter and family in the 1st Congressional District. If Gary McDowell is chosen to run against Benishek and wins then he will most certainly be manipulated by those who bankrolled his campaign – from downstate & out of state. On the other hand,   Derek J. Bailey is a candidate who has determined that he will ask the people of NORTHERN MICHIGAN for their support inside the District during this primary campaign.


Your VOTE is not a commodity that can be purchased - it's yours to make freely and so I encourage you to do so wisely as an informed voter and not as the pawn of out of state politicos and special interests.


Derek’s campaign is honorable and that’s something we haven’t seen for a while – a breath of fresh air in a political environment that wreaks of rottenness.
 Let me know your thoughts and feelings – I’m especially interested to know if you want someone outside of the 1st Congressional District to influence our Representative and his voting.

GDH

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