Well, we still don't know who is going to be our next governor. Nor do we know who is going to represent us in Congress or the state legislature next year. We don't know who will be in charge of license plates or preside over the senate or prosecute the bad guys.
What we do know, however, is who is not running. That's because yesterday was the deadline to file the necessary papers to run for nomination to any office in the August third primary election.
Now, it is still possible to run as a third party candidate, or as an independent. Joe Schwarz may still do that, in fact. The former Republican congressman and state senator might well launch an independent bid for governor, if he can raise enough money.
We'll know by July. But in the meantime, here's what we do know. Geoffrey Fieger is indeed not running for governor. Nor is U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, despite persistent rumors that she was going to give up what could be a lifetime job in Washington to come back and make a run at four trouble-filled years in Lansing.
I guess the senator turned out to be sane. Ted Nugent isn't running either, nor is Dennis Archer. Nor am I, as a matter of fact; despite the astonishing suggestions of a few of you.
Being governor takes talent and administrative ability, so I took a pass. However, there are people who are running, and this year, we've been left with a curious field. Normally, Democratic primaries in races where there isn't an incumbent look like an open phone book.
Everybody and her brother gets in. This year, however, there are only two choices in he Democratic primary for governor, and they are two very different men with have two things in common.
Most voters say they haven't heard of either Speaker of House Andy Dillon or Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. And most of the so-called experts say that neither of them is likely to win.
Well, we're about to hear a lot more about both of them. And as for their certain defeat, nothing was ever so certain in Michigan politics as that John Engler had absolutely no chance to be elected governor when he was the Republican nominee twenty years ago. Guess what happened.
There are five Republican candidates for governor, Mike Bouchard, Mike Cox, Tom George, Pete Hoekstra and Rick Snyder, the man who spent a million dollars to tell us that he is a nerd, something I would have told you about myself for free.
We have no idea who the nominee is going to be here either, though we can tell that the campaign is now seriously under way. That's because Mike Cox is now running a TV commercial attacking Pete Hoekstra, who is leading in the polls.
Experts expect Hoekstra to start firing back shortly. Of course, the best story yesterday concerned a former state house member named Mary Waters, who is facing a federal corruption trial involving allegations of bribery. Monday, she was told to surrender a Rolex watch that was allegedly part of her ill-gotten gains.
Tuesday, she filed to run for the state senate this fall. Of course, saying, as she did so, "You know, life doesn't stop."
I think there's a moral in this story.
I'm just not sure what it is.
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