FORMER. LEADER OF THE MICHIGAN
STATE SENATE, RANDY RICHARD FORMER. LEADER OF THE MICHIGAN
STATE SENATE, RANDY RICHARD VILLAS WITH US JASON ROE FROM ROSE STRATEGIC IS THERE AND SO
IS INGRID JOCKS FOR THE
COLUMNIST FOR THE DETROIT NEWS
GANG. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE THIS MORNING, GUS, I WANT
TO START WITH YOU. BUT YOU, OF
COURSE, WANT TO COME OUT OF A
CONVENTION FEELING LIKE A UNITED
FRONT AND YET WE’VE GOT PEOPLE
DESCRIBING IT. AS THE CIVIL WAR
INSIDE THE MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN
PARTY THAT DID THAT FEEL
ACCURATE TO YOU. I DON’T BELIEVE
SO. NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH. LOOK AFTER ANY
CONVENTION ANY ANY CONVENTION,
ESPECIALLY AS LIVELY AS THIS
ONE. YOU’RE GOING TO SEE PEOPLE
FROM ALL SIDES, YOU KNOW,
ARGUING FOR THEIR CANDIDATES. I
THINK THAT’S NORMAL. YOU SAW
THAT IN 2000 AND 10, AND YOU
KNOW IT’S STARTING TO FEEL MORE
LIKE THAT YEAR. AT THE END OF
THE DAY. REPUBLICANS ARE FOCUSED
ON ONE THING, AND THAT’S
ELECTING REPUBLICANS UP AND DOWN
THE BALLOT WE BELIEVE WILL BE
WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT WAY THAT
WITH OUR CURRENT CANDIDATES, UH
AND WE’RE MOVING FORWARD AT THE
END OF THE DAY, AND, UH, YOU
KNOW, COMING OUT EVEN MORE
UNITED AT AFTER THE AUGUST
PRIMARY WHEN WE SELECT THE
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, REPUBLICAN
NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR. JASON ROE
. LET ME ASK YOU. DO YOU SEE THE
SAME SOLIDARITY? WELL I THINK
THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS
SUCH THAT NO MATTER HOW
FRACTURED THE PARTY MAY OR MAY
NOT BE, UH, WE MAY HAVE JUST
BENEFIT FROM THE WINDS. I DON’T
THINK WE PUT FORWARD THE BEST
CANDIDATE FOR NOVEMBER ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE, AND I THINK
THERE REMAIN QUESTIONS ON THE
VETTING OF THE CANDIDATES THAT
THAT WILL BE OUR STANDARD
BEARERS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE
AND ATTORNEY GENERAL. BUT I DO
THINK THAT THE DEMOCRATIC
OFFICEHOLDERS STATEWIDE ARE SO
BAD. THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S
POSITION FAR FAR OUTSIDE THE
MAINSTREAM OF WHERE MOST
AMERICANS ARE ARE, YOU KNOW,
FRANKLY, WE COULD THROW UP A
DEAD CAT AND PROBABLY COMPETE
WITH THE CURRENT CROP. THAT’S
CERTAINLY THERE’S A LOT OF
PEOPLE, RANDI THAT EXPECT THIS
TO BE A REALLY BIG YEAR FOR
REPUBLICANS ONLY UNLESS THEY
SOMEHOW MESS IT UP THEMSELVES.
AND I THINK THAT THERE WERE A
NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT CAME OUT OF
THAT CONVENTION LAST WEEK THAT I
GUESS YOU’D REFER TO THEM AS
MORE TRADITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE
MICHIGAN GOP WHO DESCRIBED THAT
EXACTLY THAT TO ME THAT THEY’RE
AFRAID THAT THIS IS GOING TO
IMPLODE SOMEHOW. OH, I DON’T
THINK IT’S GOING TO IMPLODE. TO
BE HONEST WITH YOU. THIS IS MORE
LIKE A PRESEASON GAME TO ME THE
WAY I SEE IT THAT HE SAID OKAY,
WE’RE GETTING STARTED. WE’RE
GETTING TOGETHER. WE GOT A FEW
KINKS TO WORK OUT. BUT TO ME,
THE REAL ISSUE IS GOING TO BE
NOT ONLY WHO WE PUT UP IN THE
PRIMARY AND WHO WINS THE
PRIMARY. FOR GOVERNOR BECAUSE
THAT HAPPENED THE TICKET AS MUCH
AS WE MIGHT NOT LIKE TO REALIZE
THAT THE TOP OF THE TICKET
USUALLY DRIVES THE TURNOUT. THE
TURNOUT IS GOING TO BE DEPENDENT
UPON WHO LOOKS AT THE TOP LOOKS
AT THE GUBERNATORIAL RACES, SAYS
THE GOVERNOR. WHITMER HAS SHE
DONE ENOUGH IS COVID OKAY? WHAT
ABOUT BIDEN? WHAT ABOUT THE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS, WHICH USUALLY
SWING IN OUR DIRECTION? AND WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S RELATIVELY LOW
APPROVAL RATING. YOU THINK THAT
THAT’S GOING TO DRIVE TURNOUT,
PROBABLY FOR REPUBLICANS, BUT
REALLY IN THE LONG TERM. ONCE WE
GET THROUGH, WE GOT THROUGH THIS
CONVENTION. WE’VE GOT THE
PRIMARY TO GET THROUGH ONCE WE
GET THROUGH THAT, THEN DARK GOAL
WILL BE TO ATTRACT AS MANY OF
THE INDEPENDENCE AS POSSIBLE,
BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE MIGHT LIKE
TO THANK OUR IDEAL OUT I TOUGH
WORD IDEOLOGY OR THE DEMOCRATS.
IDEOLOGY DRIVES THINGS. IT’S
WHOSE MOST APPEALING IN THE IN
THE MIDDLE WHO’S GOING TO WIN
THE 40% OF THE VOTERS THAT
DOESN’T DESCRIBE TO EITHER OF
THE PARTIES AND I BELIEVE WE
HAVE CANDIDATES AND THOSE THAT
ARE GOING TO COME OUT AND SAY
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE. WE WOULD
DO IN CONTRAST TO WHAT JOE BIDEN
IS DOING WITH THE COUNTRY AND
VERSUS WHAT GRETCHEN WHITMER IS
DOING. WHAT THE STATE AND I
THINK YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR A
PRETTY GOOD ARTICULATION OF
REPUBLICAN VALUES AND A MOVEMENT
TOWARD CONSERVATISM. LET’S STAY
WITH THAT. WHAT YOUR THEME THERE
? YES, THESE ELECTIONS,
ESPECIALLY IN A PURPLE STATE,
LIKE MICHIGAN DECIDED IN THE
MIDDLE. INGRID YOUR COLLEAGUE AT
THE NEWS. NOLAN FINLEY, FREQUENT
GUESTS ON THIS PROGRAM WROTE
THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT SOME OF THE
OLD GUARD OF MICHIGAN
REPUBLICANISM GETTING TOGETHER
TO PUT THEIR MONEY IN VERY
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, AND THAT
THEY SENSE THAT THERE IS A VERY
DANGEROUS THING THAT HAPPENED
LAST WEEKEND AT THE CONVENTION.
YEAH YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND I THINK IT’S A VERY
INTERESTING TRENDS THAT A LOT OF
THESE LONGSTANDING REPUBLICAN
DONORS ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT
NOT GIVING SO MUCH TO THE PARTY
ITSELF, BUT TWO CANDIDATES THAT
THEY THINK ARE UPHOLDING THE
CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES AND, UM
, YOU KNOW PRINCIPLES OF LIMITED
GOVERNMENT, INDIVIDUAL
RESPONSIBILITY, THINGS THAT THE
PARTY HAS MORE TRADITIONALLY
STOOD FOR AND JUST SUPPORTING
THOSE CANDIDATES. INDEPENDENTLY
AND, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A
LOT OF FRACTIOUS DIVIDES RIGHT
NOW IN THE PARTY MORE THAN MORE
THAN NORMAL, AND, UM, YOU KNOW,
THERE’S NEEDS DIVISIONS ARE
LEADING TWO CHALLENGERS OF
REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS, AND
THAT’S THINKING VERY, UM. YOU
KNOW, AND UNNECESSARY ROADBLOCK
IN A YEAR WHERE REPUBLICANS
SHOULD HAVE A HUGE ADVANTAGE. I
MEAN, THEY THEY ARE NATIONALLY,
NPR JUST CAME OUT WITH THE POLLS
SHOWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
REPUBLICANS ARE LEADING IN IN
DISTRICTS AND FOR CONSERVATIVES
NOT TO HAVE A GOOD YEAR HERE,
BUT THERE’S SO MANY DIVISIONS
INTERNALLY THAT I THINK IT’S
GOING TO CAUSE A REAL PROBLEM.
IN FACT, GUS I GUESS I DID, TOO.
SORT OF TAKE ISSUE WITH THE
KUMBAYA THAT YOU KIND OF
DESCRIBE THEIR WHEN WE SEE THE
HUSBAND OF THE STATE CO CHAIR
MAT MATTOCK BEING REMOVED FROM
THE GOP CAUCUS AND LANSING
BECAUSE OF WHAT MANY IN THE GOP
SEE IS REPUBLICAN ON REPUBLICAN
CRIME FOR WHAT? INGRID JUST
MENTIONED LINING UP CANDIDATES
AGAINST INCUMBENTS, REPUBLICAN
INCUMBENTS. IS THAT NOT A SIGN
OF A FRACTURE. WELL LOOK, I
THINK WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT A
YEAR OR SO SUCH AN IMPORTANT
YEAR LIKE THIS ONE FOR
REPUBLICANS, OF COURSE, YOU’RE
GOING TO SEE ALL SIDES OF THE
PARTY IN DIFFERENT FACTIONS OF
THE PARTY EXCITED ABOUT. YOU
KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT
WHAT KIND OF SOLUTIONS THEY CAN
OFFER OR PUT FORWARD AND AT THE
END OF THE DAY, LOOK, YOU KNOW
THAT’S GOING TO PLAY OUT HOW
IT’S GOING TO PLAY OUT ON THE
CAUCUS DID WHAT THEY FELT WAS
IMPORTANT TO DO IN ORDER TO
RESPOND TO THAT INTO OTHER
THINGS. AND LOOK THAT DOESN’T
CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY FOR
REPUBLICANS. AT THE END OF THE
DAY, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR PRIMARY
IN AUGUST, YOU KNOW WE’RE GOING
TO LOOK FORWARD TO A REPUBLICAN
VICTORY AND ELECTING REPUBLICANS
UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT. THAT’S
WHAT THIS PARTY IS ABSOLUTELY
LASER FOCUSED ON. SO IS OUR
CHAIRMAN, AND SO IS THE REST OF
OUR TEAM. THAT’S THAT’S THAT’S
OUR FOCUS AND WILL CONTINUE TO
BE. JASON IF YOU’RE TRYING TO
CHASE THOSE FOLKS IN THE MIDDLE,
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
LAMENTED THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS ISN’T JUST IN MICHIGAN.
THIS IS EVERYWHERE THAT YOU NEED
TO BE AT THE FAR EDGE OF ONE OF
THE PARTIES, EITHER ONE OF THE
PARTIES TO MAKE IT INTO THE
CONVENTION TO MAKE IT INTO THE
PRIMARY AND THEN HOW IN THE
WORLD CAN YOU BE THE RIGHT
PERSON TO WIN THE MIDDLE? GIVEN
THAT THAT’S WHERE YOU WHERE
YOU’VE BEEN AND WHERE YOU NEED
TO MAKE SOME KIND OF PIVOT AS
YOU HEAD TOWARD THE GENERAL
ELECTION. WELL I THINK VOTERS
ACROSS THE IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM
ARE VERY FRUSTRATED. THAT
GOVERNMENT DOESN’T WORK, BUT I
THINK THAT IS LARGELY CENTERED
ON WHAT HAPPENS AT THE NATIONAL
LEVEL, AND I THINK THAT DRIVES A
LOT OF OUR POLITICS. AND SO YOU
KNOW YOU HAVE YOU KNOW THE
REFERENCE MADE TO MATHEMATICA
RECRUITING IN PRIMARIES, YOU DO
HAVE A LOT MORE PRIMARY
CHALLENGES AGAINST INCUMBENT
LEGISLATORS, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
ETCETERA BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT
OF ANGER AMONGST THE REPUBLICAN
BASE, YOU CAN SAY THE SAME ON
THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. YOU’RE
SEEING PRIMARIES AND ACTIVIST
FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MORE FAR
LEFT THAT ARE CHALLENGING SOME
OF THE MORE TRADITIONAL, BUT
IT’S BECAUSE GOVERNMENT SOME OF
THAT DRIVEN JASON WANT TO BLOW
THE PLACE UP WAS GOING TO SAY WE
SHOULD ALSO NOTE. SOME OF THAT
IS NO DOUBT DRIVEN BY
REDISTRICTING. THAT’S THAT’S
THAT’S PUT PITTED SOME PEOPLE
AGAINST EACH OTHER THAT’S LARGER
THAN THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE
PAST. BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW. IT
IS EVEN THOUGH I WOULD ARGUE
THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN VERY
EFFECTIVE STEWARDS IN MICHIGAN,
YOU’VE GOT A BASE OF REPUBLICAN
VOTERS THAT ARE JUST ANGRY AT
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY
AND IN THE STATE AND THEY’RE
TAKING IT OUT ON ANYONE THAT’S
IN POWER. AND SO I DON’T
NECESSARILY THINK THAT’S PURELY
A REFLECTION OF THE YOU KNOW THE
TRUMP MAGA CROWD, BUT I THINK
THE TRUMP MARGARET CROWD IS KIND
OF WHAT HAPPENED OUT OF THIS
FRUSTRATIONS AMONGST REPUBLICAN
VOTERS THAT HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED
BY REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, SELLING THEM OUT ON A
LOT OF ISSUES THEY CARE ABOUT.
THE OTHER PART OF THIS RANDY IS
THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE KIND OF A
LITMUS TEST AT WORK LAST WEEK,
MIKE LINDELL TOLD THE CROWD. IF
YOU THINK THAT JOE BIDEN WON THE
LAST ELECTION, YOU’RE OUT. SO WE
HAVE GOT YOU ALMOST HAD TO
BELIEVE ALL OF THESE UNPROVEN,
FRANKLY DISHONEST, UM, CLAIMS
ABOUT THE LAST ELECTION TO HAVE
MADE IT THROUGH TO THE FINAL
ROUND. IS THAT HEALTHY FOR THE
PARTY? WELL INDEED, I GUESS I
WOULD LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENTLY THAN THAT. UM NO TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THAT
WOULDN’T BE HELPFUL TO THE
PARTY. BUT IF JOE BIDEN WOULD
THE DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
JOE BIDEN OR DONALD TRUMP WON
THE ELECTION BY THE PROCESS
THAT’S IN PLACE ISN’T AS
IMPORTANT AS THE FACT THAT JOE
BIDEN IS LOSING THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW AND IF THAT WERE
ELECTION TO BE HELD TO GET
TODAY, THERE WOULDN’T BE ANY
DOUBT THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD BE
ELECTED. AT LEAST THAT’S THE WAY
I SEE IT. SO JOE BIDEN’S LACK OF
LEADERSHIP IS LEADING US TOWARD
. I THINK A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE
AS WE MOVED TO THE SUMMER AND
INTO NOVEMBER, AND JANE JASON
TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS,
TOO. WHERE WE MAY BE AT THE
FOREFRONT OF THE NEWS RIGHT NOW.
IS THERE SOME DIFFERENCES WITHIN
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY? BUT THE
DEMOCRAT PARTY IS VERY FRACTURED
RIGHT NOW AS WELL. AND I KNOW WE
TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT,
BUT THEY’RE NOT UNITING AT ALL.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE’VE GOT SOME
CONFLICTS, I THINK THAT BECAUSE
WHAT INGRID SAID ABOUT THE
STRENGTH OF OUR VALUES AND WHAT
THE PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE ARE
LOOKING FOR I THINK WE HAVE A
BETTER STORY TO TELL. IT DEPENDS
A LOT TO ME AND WHO’S GOING TO
WIN THIS PRIMARY FOR THE
GOVERNORSHIP. WHO’S GOING TO WHO
WE’RE GOING TO PUT UP AGAINST
GRETCHEN WHITMER? IF YOU LOOK IN
MY LIFETIME, THERE’S NOT A
SINGLE GOVERNOR THAT WAS ELECTED
THAT WASN’T RE ELECTED IN THE
FIRST TERM, SO THAT’S A DAUNTING
TASK TO TAKE ON A SITTING
GOVERNOR, AND THAT’S PROBABLY AT
THE CORE OF WHAT WE’VE GOT TO GO
AFTER. SO IT’S GOING TO BE DOWN
TO THOSE 10 CANDIDATES, WHICH
ONE EMERGES IN WHICH ONE CAN
TAKE HER ON IN A WAY THAT UH
HUH. EXPLAINS THOSE THOSE
DIFFERENCES IN PARTY BELIEFS TO
THE MIDDLE. THERE’S A LOT RIGHT
IN WHAT YOU JUST SAID. BUT
INGRID, I’VE ONLY GOT ABOUT A
MINUTE LEFT HERE. SO THERE ARE
SOME DEMOCRATS WHO THINK THAT
THEY FINALLY MAY HAVE THEIR
UNIFYING THEME IF THIS ENDS UP
BEING AN ELECTION ABOUT ABORTION
OVER 75% OF MICHIGANDERS, AND
NOW I’M DOWN TO 30 SECONDS
THEY’RE TELLING ME ONLY ABOUT
75% OF MICHIGANDERS. DO NOT WANT
TO SEE ROE VERSUS WADE
OVERTURNED INGRID YEAH, I MEAN
IN A LOT OF VOICES IS GOING TO
BE AN ISSUE THAT WILL HELP
DEMOCRATS. AND OBVIOUSLY WE’VE
SEEN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER
AND ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA NESSEL
ALREADY SHOWING THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO MAKE THIS A BIG ISSUE
IN THE ELECTION, AND I THINK
REPUBLICANS REALLY NEED TO WORK
ON THEIR MESSAGING. ON ABORTION
BECAUSE THIS GOOD IT COULD
REALLY BRING OUT A LOT OF WOMEN
VOTERS A LOT OF MODERATE VOTERS
WHO DON’T WANT TO SEE IT
OVERTURNED ALTOGETHER. ALRIGHT
GANG, I’M AFRAID OF OUT OF TIME.