He did not even win in many republican counties

And you're absolutely spot on on one thing...The thing to remember with a poll like this is that people are judging DeVos based on their expectations while they're judging Granholm based on her actions.

In that sense the poll is much more damaging to the governor than it is a buoy for any potential DeVos 2010 campaign.  

Devos should've won.  Devos could've won.  The fact that he didn't isn't  the stupidity or the mistakes of the voters, it is the shortcomings of his own campaign.  Ditto the loss of the house.

The GOP blew it.

Instead, he had a perpetual deer-in-the-headlights look in the debates with the governor.  He had countless opportunities to make his case and land a knock-out punch.  But DeVos was just too inexperienced.

He may have made a fine governor.  But as a candidate, DeVos was pathetic.

But that's neither here nor there.  

Like I said, I think the real news in these numbers is that Granholm's ability to govern is slipping away.

(If it existed at all.)

Sadly, I find Granholm's victory not so much symbolic of the anti-GOP trend in 2006 (that, although troubling, is fixable) but rather Michigan's outright hostility to free-market capitalism.  Granholm's popularity before the election was only in the upper 20s, but she won, mainly by playing the China card early and often.  The state's almost hysterical fear of losing high-paying jobs to other parts of the world has resulted in a self-fulfilling prophecy: the jobs have left, never to return, despite the most optimistic efforts by our elected officials who continue to swear that we have a plan to right the state's economic ship.

DON'T BLAME ME
I VOTED FOR DEVOS

1).  The Dems' willingness to repeatedly, forcefully, and viciously lie and prey upon peoples worst fears and prejudices.

2).  His basic decency and desire to run an honorable campaign.

As much as political animals like those on this site want to think it, it wasn't all about debates.  Anybody would have a challenge against an actress/lawyer/politician in posession of what is clearly a sociopathic ability to lie.  It was about a national anti-Republican tide and the Dem ability to tie DeVos to Bush and China with lies and inuendo.

They ascribed peoples' bad attitude toward Granholm to her failure to get the budget crisis solved.  

Seems to me it's plausible the voters were most upset because she's gone back on campaign promises and is now trying to ram though a huge tax increase.  

I could be wrong.  But I suspect few have actually been paying attention to the budget mess and the only snippet they've likely heard is that the Dems want to raise their taxes.

So at the risk of "beating a dead horse," I wanted to make clear I don't think DeVos' dismal performance in the debates was the only contributing factor to his loss.  However, aside from his commercials, that first debate was the very first time for most voters to see him in an unscripted environment.  That's when most voters got their real first impression of him.

Frankly, I was stunned by his lack of performance.  He looked entirely unprepared and out of his league.  I'm willing to bet there were a significant number of "uncommitted" voters who made up their minds that night.

Yes, all the other factors referenced previously played a role in his defeat.  But I just can't get over how unprepared DeVos looked for that first and most critical debate.

OK, maybe not Bill Buckley, but you get my point.

But that's neither here nor there... even WITH the shortcomings of the campaign folks are still saying according to this poll that they'd prefer DeVos to Granholm.

And as has been noted earlier in the posts, his number hasn't changed much.  Her's has plummeted.  

However, I do belive that DeVos' foundation in solid business economics would have been good for this state.  A successful businessman knows how to create a sound business environment and how to create jobs.

STEP ASIDE, DICK!

To Nick:

But I don't think he would've truly reformed the tax structure of this state enough to make us a jobs magnet.  I don't think he's that kind of visionary with solid leadership skills.

I agree Mr. DeVos does need to step aside and we need to nominate that visionary with the requisite leadership skills.

What are the other 49 states doing that's keeping their economies strong while Michigan wallows in the 6th year of a recession?  Are they right-to-work states?  What business climates have they created that keeps their unemployment rates so low compared to ours?  And how did they create them?

We need a leader who will show us the way.  Who is that viable candidate?

The first quarter US domestic growth was downgraded to only 0.6% (or something close to that).  The country could be on the verge of another recession.  We've still not emerged from the last one.  What's it going to take to turn this state around?

I would've thought you'd have more real-world wits than that.

And for what it's worth, the following incumbents were ATR Pledge signers:

Mike Bishop
Marty Knollenberg
Jim Barcia
Wayne Kuipers
Alan Sanborn
Michelle McManus

You've accused Mike Bishop of being the guy who will tank the Republican Party... your doomsday pessimism has him leading us into decades of misery.  But even he took the No-New-Taxes pledge.

From what I can determine, the only two people he ever worked for were his father and Uncle. Has any else ever given his a performance review?

When he left, Amway, it seemed like he was given a push and he has floated around since then looking for something meaningful to do? Any sense?

His campaign literature says he graduated from a special program at Northwood Uiversity. The type of program where job experience can count for credits.

At the same time, I hear that he attended Calvin. If so, why did he leave Calvin?

Given the family funded the Northwood U graduate business school, it could raise questions about what he did while at Northwood. He says he attended a couple of courses at Northwood. Northwood does not exactly have the academic standards that you would expect for the son of  a very rich person unless, the student just never applied himself.

You're right and you're wrong.  DeVos worked in the family business for a time and worked every job from tour guide to loading trucks until taking on a leadership role inside the company.  Under his direction the company was transformed from a struggling Michigan manufacturer to a global superpower with 80% of it's business consisting of Michigan exports to other nations.

But beyond his Amway / Alticor experience he's started a variety of other businesses including Windquest, a closet storage system manufacturer in Holland, MI and of course he's acted as the President / CEO of the Orlando Magic basketball team.  There are a ton of others but those are sort of the highlights if you will.

When he left, Amway, it seemed like he was given a push and he has floated around since then looking for something meaningful to do? Any sense?

On this one you couldn't be more wrong.  DeVos stepped away from Alticor on his own for a time and turned things over to others in his family.  When his father became ill (he wound up having a heart transplant) the DeVos and Van Andel families sought him out and persuaded him to step aside from his other ventures to COME BACK to head the company again for a time.  He did, led it through a dramatic turnaround and left on top.

I'd put his business experience and expertise up against just about anyone in the United States.  And you can judge that on results.

His campaign literature says he graduated from a special program at Northwood Uiversity. The type of program where job experience can count for credits.

At the same time, I hear that he attended Calvin. If so, why did he leave Calvin?

Campaign lit?  Where are you getting campaign lit?  Did I miss a 2010 announcement?  

You're right, he graduated from Northwood.  Attended there after leaving Calvin.  Probably for the same reason I left Cornerstone and went to Grand Valley.  Every school isn't a perfect fit for every student.  I needed a change of environment and focus, personally.

Given the family funded the Northwood U graduate business school, it could raise questions about what he did while at Northwood. He says he attended a couple of courses at Northwood. Northwood does not exactly have the academic standards that you would expect for the son of  a very rich person unless, the student just never applied himself.

Again, you're off base on this one...  Dick's been very generous after graduating as, dare I say, many are to their alma maters.  As far as academic standards, Northwood is considered one of the premier business schools in the United States.

Hope I was able to help.

1. Thanks Dubs. #@T#%#

2. To those who voted for Granholm with buyer's remorse - don't cry to me. I actually did something about this.