>> WE ARE WAY BEHIND ON POLITICA
TALK ON OUR PROGRAM, AND IT’S OF
COURSE ALWAYS BEEN THE LIFEBLOOD
SO LET’S BRING IN THIS MORNING’S
POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE AND KICK TH
FOOTBALL AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
>> GOOD TO HAVE WITH US, NOLAN
FINLEY.
>> STEVE MITCHELL IS AN ANALYST
FOR MITCHELL RESEARCH.
>> BELOW HIM, JILL ALPER AND
STEVE HENDERSON.
>> I’M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR GENERA
TAKE -- LET’S START WITH THE
NATIONAL PICTURE.
WE HAD A POLL -- WE’VE SEEN A
COUPLE OF POLLS COME OUT THIS
PAST WEEK, NOLAND.
ONE OF THEM SHOWED US 53 PERCENT
OF REPUBLICANS BELIEVE THAT
DONALD TRUMP RIGHTLY WON THE LAS
ELECTION.
HOW IN THE WORLD DO WE MOVE
FORWARD AND GET EVERYBODY ON THE
SAME PAGE FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHIN
IF THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO
BE?
>> I THINK THAT WILL TAKE CARE O ITSELF AS REPUBLICANS START
ITSELF AS REPUBLICANS START
REFOCUSING MORE ON 2022 AND
PROSECUTING THAT AND FOR GETTING
ABOUT THE LAST ONE.
>> WHEN THE MISSION BECOMES
BEATING DEMOCRATS, I DON’T THINK
IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THEM
TOGETHER AND LOOKING TOWARD THE
FUTURE.
>> IT HAPPENED WITH DEMOCRATS IN
2018 OBVIOUSLY.
COMING OUT OF 2016, I BET YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND AN EQUAL NUMBER
WOULD HAVE FOUND AN EQUAL NUMBER
OF DEMOCRATS WHO THOUGHT THAT
ELECTION SHENANIGANS ELECTED
DONALD TRUMP IN ’16.
SO I THINK REPUBLICANS WILL BE
FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE VERY
QUICKLY.
>> I’LL HAVE TO DIG BACK THROUGH
SOME POLLS.
I DON’T REMEMBER SEEING ANYTHING
QUITE THAT DRAMATIC, BUT, JILL,
LET ME GIVE YOU MAYBE A STATISTI
THAT MAYBE EVEN IS MORE
EYE-POPPING.
ABOUT 23 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS
APPARENTLY BELIE THAT THE LEFT
IN AMERICA IS LED BY A GROUP OF
SATANNIC PEDOPHILES.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOU
THAT, AND I’M NOT SURE THERE WIL
EVER BE VOTERS WHO ARE OPENING T
VOTING FOR A DEMOCRAT.
WHAT WE DO SEE IN THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW IS DEMOCRATS LEADING A
EVERY LEVEL, THE WHITE HOUSE, TH
SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND HERE IN
MICHIGAN OUR TOP THREE
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES,
GERRYMANDERING GOES AWAY AFTER W
HAVE OUR NEW LINES AND THINGS AR PRETTY EVENLY MATCHED.
PRETTY EVENLY MATCHED.
THOUGH DESPITE THE PANDEMIC AND
EVERYTHING THAT’S GONE DOWN, WE
SEE THE GOVERNOR DOING BETTER,
SIX POINTS BETTER IN A RECENT
POLL, AND IN SOME LEVEL, THOSE
DON’T REALLY MATTER.
WHAT DOES MATTER IS THE ECONOMIC
PLAN THAT’S AFOOT, THE RESOURCES
THERE ARE TO SPEND, THE PLAN THA
SHE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THIS PAST
WEEK SO PUT OUR ECONOMY BACK ON
TRACK, WE’RE JUST ONE POINT
BEHIND IN UNEMPLOYMENT. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHICH MEANS
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHICH MEANS
WE’RE DOING BETTER THAN THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY, WHICH MICHIGAN
TENDS NOT TO DO BETTER DURING
TIMES OF TURMOIL IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND EVERY GOVERNOR HAS BEEN
REELECTED FOR THEIR SECOND TERM
BACK TO 1962.
SO A STRONG TICKET.
>> STEVE MITCHELL, STEVE AND I
SAW EACH OTHER THIS PAST WEEK
AND, STEVE, A REALLY INTERESTING
MOREMORSEL OF HISTORY WHEN THE
LIKE PARTY IS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
>> STEVE, GO AHEAD AND EXPAND ON
THAT.
>> SHE’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT WHEN
SHE SAYS EVERY GOVERNOR HAS BEEN
REELECTED GOING BACK TO 1962.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, HOWEVER,
IS THAT EVERY TIME FOR THE LAST
FOUR GOVERNORS THAT THEY’VE RUN
FOR RE-ELECTION, THE OPPOSITE
PARTY HAS BEEN IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
WHEN JIM BLANCHARD, JOHN ENGLER,
JENNIFER GRANHLOMM RAN, THEY WER
AGAINST THE OPPOSITE PARTY IN TH
WHITE HOUSE AND THE OPPOSITE
PARTY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
GENERALLY DOES VERY POORLY IN A
MIDTERM ELECTION.
THIS TIME, GOVERNOR GRETCHEN
WHITMER HAS TO RUN WITH A
DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE, JOE
BIDEN, AND JOE BIDEN WILL BE
UNPOPULAR BY NOVEMBER OF 2022, S
I THINK THAT THIS IS AN
HISTORICAL FACT THAT I THINK IS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FACT THA
THEY’RE ALWAYS REELECTED, AND I
THINK GOVERNOR WHITMER IS A GREA
CAMPAIGNER.
SHE HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIKE
WHAT SHE -- DIDN’T LIKE WHAT SHE
DID DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT AT
THE END OF THE DAY, SHE HAS TO
RUN WITH JOE BIDEN IN THE WHITE
HOUSE. THE AVERAGE LOSS IN CONGRESS HAS
THE AVERAGE LOSS IN CONGRESS HAS
BEEN 26 SEATS WHEN THERE’S --
WHEN THEY RUN IN THE MIDTERM
ELECTION.
>> REALLY INTERESTING.
JUST KIND OF THE PENDULUM THEORY
AND THE WAY THAT THINGS GENERALL
WORK.
STEVEN HENDERSON, LET ME BRING
YOU IN.
I KIND OF GRITTED MY TEETH A
LITTLE BIT AT THE WAY THAT
EVERYBODY WANTS TO JUMP ON JAMES
CRAIG AS A CANDIDATE BEFORE WE
EVEN GOT TO THE IMPACT ON THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE THE NEW
CHIEF TODAY ON "FLASHPOINT," SO
GUESS NOW I’M READY TO ENTERTAIN
THINKING ABOUT WHAT’S DOWN THE
ROAD. GIVE ME YOUR THUMBNAIL ON HOW YO
GIVE ME YOUR THUMBNAIL ON HOW YO
THINK THAT JAMES CRAIG COULD DO
AS A REPUBLICAN STATEWIDE
CANDIDATE.
>> I THINK HE WILL DO BETTER THA
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY’VE BEE TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, HE’S -- HE IS A POPULA
FIGURE, BECAUSE OF HIS RECORD IN DETROIT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF HIS
DETROIT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF HIS
PRO GUN STANCE AND SOMEBODY THAT
SUPPORTS DONALD TRUMP, WHO IS
POPULAR IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I THINK IF HE HAS A WEAKNESS IT’
THE FACT THAT HE’S NEVER BEEN
ELECTED TO ANYTHING BEFORE.
HE’S A POLICE OFFICER.
HE’S NOT A POLITICIAN. AND I THINK HE WILL HAVE A HARD
AND I THINK HE WILL HAVE A HARD
TIME KEEPING UP WITH, YOU KNOW,
THE KIND OF ATTACKS THAT YOU
WOULD SEE GRETCHEN WHITMER AND DEMOCRATS, YOU KNOW, LAUNCH ON
DEMOCRATS, YOU KNOW, LAUNCH ON
SOMEONE LIKE THAT.
I DON’T KNOW THAT HE CAN KIND OF GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE CLEVER
GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE CLEVER
KIND OF RHETORICAL ADVANCES THAT
GRETCHEN WHITMER HAS BECOME
REALLY GOOD AT.
>> SHE’S BEEN MISSING SOME OF IT
ON THIS FLORIDA FLIGHT
CONTROVERSY.
>> THEY’VE BEEN TRIPPING OVER
THEMSELVES ON THAT.
>> I ALSO AM SORT OF INTRIGUED B THIS FLOATING OF CANDACE MILLER
THIS FLOATING OF CANDACE MILLER
AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FOR HIM.
THAT SEEMS THE FLIP TO ME. >> I THINK YOU COULD REALLY GIVE
>> I THINK YOU COULD REALLY GIVE
WHITMER A MONEY FOR HER MONEY.
CANDACE MILLER HAS SAID OVER AND
OVER SHE’S NOT INTERESTED, BUT A
MILLER-CRAIG TICKET I THINK WOUL
HAVE SOME DEMOCRATS PRETTY SCARE ABOUT NEXT YEAR, SO I’M NOT
ABOUT NEXT YEAR, SO I’M NOT
SURE -- I’M NOT SURE WHAT YOU
MAKE --
>> BEFORE I GET BACK TO NOLAN,
JILL, I WOULD IMAGINE A CANDACE
MILLER CANDIDACY MIGHT CONCERN
YOU MORE THAN A JAMES CRAIG ONE?
>> SURE.
JUST BECAUSE SHE’S TESTED.
WE KNOW MORE ABOUT HER.
SHE’S VETTED.
OF THE BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I AGREE WITH STEPHEN’S
ASSESSMENT.
THE.
>> SHE SEEMS VERY RUN RESISTANT.
>> NOLAN, WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE COME OUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
COME OUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
THEY HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPERIENCE, THEY KNOW HOW TO RUN
THINGS, WE’VE SEEN THAT WITH
WARREN EVANS RUNNING THE COUNTY. BUT TO NOT HAVE LIENALES
BUT TO NOT HAVE LIENALES
LEGISLATIVELEGISLATIVE
EXPERIENCE, THAT’S A PROBLEM,
ISN’T IT?
>> I TALKED TO CRAIG LAST WEEK
FOR A COLUMN AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED
HE KNOWS A WHOLE LOT ABOUT
POLICING, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY HE’S NOT AN ANNOUNCED
CANDIDATE IS HE REALIZED HE HAS LOT OF WORK TO DO ON POLICY
LOT OF WORK TO DO ON POLICY
ISSUES AND BE FULLY PREPARED.
HE’S BETTING THAT LAW AND ORDER,
PUBLIC SAFETY WILL BE A MAJOR
ISSUE IN 2022. I’M NOT SO SURE THAT’S TRUE IN
I’M NOT SO SURE THAT’S TRUE IN
MICHIGAN, BUT, YEAH, HE
UNDERSTANDS HE’S GOT A LOT OF
WORK TO DO, BUT HE ALSO HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF AT THIS POINT OF
ADVANTAGE OF AT THIS POINT OF
HAVING REALLY AN IMPECCABLE
CHARACTER, HONEST, TRANSPARENT
AND HE’LL BE RUNNING AGAINST A
CANDIDATE WHO IS DEFICIENT IN THOSE AREAS.
THOSE AREAS.
AS I SAID, THEY’LL BOTH HAVE PRO
AND THEY’LL BOTH HAVE CONS. DID SOMEBODY JUMP IN THERE?
DID SOMEBODY JUMP IN THERE?
>> I WOULD THINK THE ADVANTAGE
YOU WOULD WANT, MAYBE YOU RAISE
THAT TO FOR OR FIVE -- >> I THINK --
>> I THINK --
>> I THINK, STEVE --
>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, GRETCHEN
WHITMER WON MACOMB COUNTY.
I THINK JAMES CRAIG COULD REALLY
TAKE THAT AWAY -- TAKE AWAY THE LEAD THERE.
LEAD THERE.
>> I’M JUST ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF
TIME.
>> STEVE, YOU TOLD ME -- I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE, STEVE MITCHELL BELIEVE THAT EVERY ELECTION
BELIEVE THAT EVERY ELECTION
BETWEEN NOW AND ’24 IS ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
YOU DON’T THINK SO?
>> I DON’T THINK THIS ELECTION
WILL BE.
THE LAST THREE HAVE BEEN ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
THIS ONE WILL NOT BE, BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS NOT PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP IS NOT PRESIDENT
ANYMORE AND HE’S NOT ON THE
TICKET.
HE MAY BE AGAIN IN 2024, I DON’T
THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE AN
ELECTION ABOUT TRUMP. I THINK CRAIG HAS THE ABILITY TO
I THINK CRAIG HAS THE ABILITY TO
GET MAYBE 8, 10, 12 PERCENT OUT
OF THE CITY OF DETROIT. I THINK HE’S A STRONG CANDIDATE.
I THINK HE’S A STRONG CANDIDATE.
WE’VE SEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS MOVE FROM SHERIFFS INTO
EXECUTIVE JOBS, SO HE MAY BE A
GOOD ONE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
>> OKAY, I’VE GOT TO LEAVE IT
THERE.
I’M OUT OF TIME LONG BEFORE I’M