To continue to play along with the GOP and these candidates is what we've been doing for far too long...how's it workin' out for us? What will it take for them to make the right changes? Sadly, this big problem won't turn around on a dime. It's going to continue like this until we force the change. How? Hmmm. Hate to have to go here but..I'm thinking the JGillman Jr may be unto the only way for the future improvement we've been begging for. That way would put things in proper relationship: they can start begging for our votes again rather than our begging them to pretty please with cherries back an appropriate candidate.

Considering the abysmal way they all have handled this, it's not Snyder who needs to earn my vote (lets just tell the truth here) it's the GOP...

If we the people band together in allegiance to each other (rather than allegiance to the GOP)we will stand together to support someone conservative from The Tea Party or some other 3rd party. I never thought I'd have to go here but.. if we don't we're no better than those on the other side who disgust us for their being on the reservation/plantation so mindlessly. I'm going to stand for something from now on and practice what I preach. Hey, it's certainly no worse a result than this one we have from our following these blankedy blanks over the cliff.

I didn't crossover yesterday. I voted on the dem ticket. I don't know anyone who personally did crossover, but the numbers seem to suggest that happened.

I want to promote an idea about that, though, that perhaps it's not so evil. Perhaps centrist democrats and independents truly were drawn to Snyder's message. For example, both my wife and my father-in-law (pretty strong conservatives, both) voted for Snyder. Their reasoning? They were attracted to the "outsider" appeal, yes, but they were also turned off by the negative/smear campaigns conducted by the conservative-right candidates.

I understand the angst of the far right and I understand the angst of the teapariers...but the reality is a majority of people in this state don't want the shouting the anger the name-calling and smear tactics.

Yet what I see here is more strategizing by the far right of the GOP to NOT learn from 2008 or last night and continue to push for an agenda that will marginalize the center of their party and independents overall.

Even Reagan was more centrist than most of the posters and posts I see here.

Furthermore, I haven't ruled out voting for Snyder. But he has no chance if he needs to waste his time wooing the far right. None. His only hope is to run from the center.

None of the far-right candidates would have had a chace in November--I don't care what condition the state is in.

The time has come for all of us to work together. We need to stop vilifying good, hardworking citizens and using good taxpayers as scapegoats for our angst (teachers and public workers). If you want those folks to work with you and listen to your ideas,don't treat them like drug dealers and lazy suckers.

The 80% or so of Michigan voters who didn't bother to show up for the primary vote deserve Governer Bernero.

The independent/centrist boneheads who fell for the "tough nerd" line deserve Governer Bernero. Their "tough nerd" wasn't tough enough to show up for a debate.

I'm not purposely trying to be condescending or attacking here...but I'm of the opinion that most Michigan citizens want to see politicians of ALL stripes working TOGETHER. I don't think the masses are buying what the extreme elements in either party are selling. The news media picks that stuff up because they rely on strife and turmoil to pitch news. But most are sick of it.

I don't think far-right (or far-left) ideology is sustainable for any length of time or in any sort of meaningful, game-changing numbers.

Today's left is tomorrow's conservative center. Historically this has been proven time and time again. And has been proven and re-proven since the birth of this nation.

The left hasn't gotten more left (I hardly think Clinton was more left of FDR and LBJ, for example). The Right has realigned its center in response to the constant leftward trek of the country since its inception.

A classic example is social security. At its birth during the FDR era, conservatives--all of them--howled like rabied wolves. Now? There isn't a conservative who will publicly say "do away with social security" if he or she has any hope of winning an election (the only thing debated is how to fund it). Privately-funded think tanks might talk about privitizing it or doing away it altogether...but no one who aspires to public office beyond local drain commissioner will say it. It ain't happening--thus, the conservative center has been coopted and has been forced (yet again) to move along the road to the left.

The rallying cry against Obama's health care by the teaparty? "Keep your hands off my medicare"--an angry rebuke of proposed CUTS in medicare (which, if you think about it, those conservatives should have been applauding: the CUTTING of a socialist program). I saw all the stalwarts of conservatism on Fox DEFEND that mantra ("Keep your hands off my medicare"). Even Palin. You don't see any white flag, any bitter irony in any of that?! Hello!

As I don't want this to escalate into an unpleasant conversation, I'll leave it at that. I've had my say here. Best of luck moving forward.