For the very first time in months, the Democrats are showing signs of life in their effort to topple incumbent GOP Governor Rick Snyder. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is launching what it says as a three week, $1 million media buy to slam Snyder.
The two biggest problems, however, are that Democrat Mark Schauer is not just a former member of Congress, but that he will be accepting public financing — guaranteeing a massive spending disparity against the deep-pocketed Snyder.
Meanwhile, GOP Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land, the former two-term Secretary of State, has outraised Democratic Rep. Gary Peters. This sets up a very favorable contrast between the anti-DC team of Snyder and Land versus the Inside the Beltway team of Schauer and Peters. The DGA ad buy to help prop-up Schauer will help keep him on the radar, but one of the biggest surprises of 2014 may be a GOP win in both races.
Of course, it helps that President Obama is heading the ticket, and helps set up the anti-DC messaging construct.
Gordon Hensley