Gay bashing at military funerals and free speech, a radical center/third party movement in 2012 and China as an issue in the 3rd Congressional race on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast with Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder.
How China makes its way into Michigan politics, gay bashing by a state official and a new national poll that finds Bill Clinton growing in popularity, on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast
Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about the Tea Party and Christine O'Donnell, Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero agreeing to a debate, the 3rd Congressional race and Don't Ask Don't Tell on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast.
On a special edition of Talking Michigan Politics, Grand Rapids Press Political Editor Jeff sits down with Brian Wesbury, chief economist for First Trust Advisors in Wheaton, Ill., frequent guest on CNBC and Fox News, and a contributor to the Wall Street Journal's editorial page. Wesbury keynoted the lunch program at the West Michigan Policy Forum in Grand Rapids on Thursday.
Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about Tea Party victories, Rick Snyder-Virg Bernero sharing town hall time and government worker health insurance paying for abortions on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast.
New numbers and a widening gap in the race for governor, a study showing Republican primary turnout surging while it declines for Democrats and the anniversary of President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon on this week's Talking Michigan Politics with Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder.
This week on the Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder ruminate on November races, Democratic control of the Michigan Supreme Court, growing misconceptions about the president and manufacturing's resurgence in Southern states.
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver's stunning decision to resign; Rick Snyder's running mate pick and libertarian billionaire Koch brothers and their role in the Tea Party movement.
Tea partiers facing off in court, exploring a path to victory for Virg Bernero, and the mosque proposed two blocks from Ground Zero on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast with Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder. Will the real Tea Party please stand up? Despite claims there is no organized Tea Party, per se, a group of people involved in "the movement" have enlisted the state's foremost elections law gunslinger to challenge the organization they say filed fake Tea Party candidates to dilute the...
Running mates for Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero and Grand Rapids says no to backyard chickens on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast with Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder. 1. The running mate sweepstakes. Lots of names on both sides. And GOP candidate Rick Snyder, either has a number of fans of the Washington Post's "The Fix" column , or his campaign staff is working overtime to pump up their results in the column's unscientific daily poll. Meanwhile, the debate about debates ha...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder and GVSU's Matt McLogan analyze Tuesday night's primary election results. 1. Governor's race. What's it all mean? Did voters send a clear message with support for Rick Snyder or was it just good strategy dividing up the GOP base between Hoekstra and Cox? Snyder stunned observers by carrying most of the state outside the counties (see map) in Pete Hoekstra's Congressional district and a few scattered in oth...
On a special, and brief, edition of the Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss: • The latest polls in the governor's race and how Rick Snyder has pulled ahead, however slightly. It's the first time the Ann Arbor businessman has led in major polls since his campaign began early last year. • A controversial group already running ads targeting Peter Hoekstra in the governor's race is now doing mailings attacking a candidate in the Grand Rapids-based 3rd ...
Is Virg Bernero pulling ahead in the Democratic race for governor? On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder and GVSU's Matt McLogan discuss that race, analyze Congressional and state legislative races and voter turnout projections. Governor's race Polls show Democratic Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has overcome and is leading House Speaker Andy Dillon in myriad parts of the state. How is his populist message resonating? On the Republican side, Attor...
New polls in the governor's race, Club for Growth attack ads and voter turnout are the topics on this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast with Jeff Cranson, political editor at the Grand Rapids Press and Matt McLogan, vice president of university relations for Grand Valley State University.
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, recorded in a quieter setting, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss whether people pining for Ronald Reagan truly understand how he governed, campaign finance lawsuits, new developments in the race for governor of Michigan, and what it means for Gov. Granholm that President Obama is making a stop in Holland:
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press politics editor Jeff Cranson and editorial page editor Ed Golder talk about money in the governor's race, a case before the state Supreme Court concerning allegations of Meijer secretly promoting the recall of township officials near Traverse City, and Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver bolting the GOP.
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss the changing face of the Michigan governor's race, a flurry of endorsements for Grand Rapids-area Congressional candidates, a lawsuit challenging Michigan's campaign finance limits and the patriotism of buying American.
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about changing poll numbers in the governor's race and the Democratic debate in Grand Rapids, developments in the 3rd Congressional campaigns, and controversy surrounding film tax credits for the Grand Rapids Hangar42 project. Conversation starters: • Ed on Asian carp making it past the barrier • Jeff on pro-life and pro-choice groups finding common ground in New York as an organization s...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about the Michigan Truth Squad, the Michigan governors race and the challenges in remaking the nation's energy policy. Links to topics discussed: • Michigan Truth Squad • A new poll in Michigan's gubernatorial race, and the campaigns feature few promises. • President Obama's Oval Office address on the Gulf spill provokes more energy policy discussion. Jay Hakes, director of the Jimmy Cart...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about: Big endorsements in the governor's race: Attorney General Mike Cox picks up the support of Grand Rapids GOP powers Dick and Betsy DeVos, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and possibly Right To Life of Michigan Thursday. Is it quid pro quo with the Chamber and RTL because the DeVoses donate generously to both groups? The Chamber's PACs are building a fund balance to fight a Constitut...
On this week's delayed version of the Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss Thursday's sometimes raucous governor's debate; President George W. Bush's speech in Grand Rapids; and what we can learn from the perfect game that wasn't.
In a special brief edition of the Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss President George W. Bush's speech to the Grand Rapids Economic Club Wednesday evening. The former president, relaxed and seemingly at peace, struck a very human, at times somewhat conciliatory tone as he discussed his most agonizing decisions in office.
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics Podcast, Matt McLogan -- GVSU vice president of university relations -- joins Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder to discuss: 1. Post-partisanship, a fading ideal. President Obama draws harsh criticism after a meeting with GOP senators Tuesday -- one of whom says the president used them as "props." And a poll: "Anti-incumbent sentiment is as strong as it was in 1994, when the GOP swept the Democrats from power on Capitol Hill, but according to a new ...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss: 1. What do Tuesday's results in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas mean? Is Obama's help a welcome thing for candidates? And will the Tea Party continue to be a factor? 2. Governor's race. • How about a one-term pledge? Mike Bouchard has mentioned it; Joe Schwartz says it's a certainty, should he decide to run. • Mike Cox's TV assault on Pete Hoekstra may be working. Hoekstra has tak...
On a special edition of the Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard about his gubernatorial candidacy. Among the questions and topics: One term? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is doing all the things he promised in an effort to close his state's $10 billion budget gap, which means his popularity is sagging. If Michigan's next governor does the things that need to be done, Bouchard has said it would be tough to be ...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss: 1. Candidate filing day suggests there will be blood in the race for governor. Among the topics in the governor's race: • Republican Attorney General Mike Cox's TV ads attacking U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra and the timing with Americans for Job Security ads, which also go after Hoekstra. • And what of a supporter of GOP candidate Rick Snyder demanding that Cox remove his image from the ad?...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss: 1. Taxes. Voters said yes across West Michigan, with wide margins in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. In Grand Rapids, a proposal to hike the income tax from 1.3 to 1.5 percent for residents was adopted narrowly. Our friend, Peter Bratt, crunched the numbers (PDF). The question that keeps coming up is whether this signals that the anti-tax Tea Party is not as influential as believe...
On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about a new poll that shows U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra hanging on to a lead among Republicans running for governor; questions over whether voter unhappiness spells good news for Republicans in November; and concerns about legacy costs and how they shape voter views ahead of key tax votes Tuesday. 1. Governor's race. New poll shows Hoekstra still leading Republicans. And Rasmussen reports tha...
In this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder talk about the race for governor and Michigan's lack of disclosure in campaign finance law; a poll that shows that most Tea Party faithful are doing fine financially; and the money in the Grand Rapids Congressional race: 1. Governor's race Attorney General and GOP candidate for governor Mike Cox charged a shadow group's radio ad attacking Cox's role in investigating an alleged party at the Manoogian Mansio...
Join Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder for this week's Talking Michigan Politics. Topics include: 1. The race for governor Last week's poll (PDF), that found U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, hanging on to a lead in the GOP primary. Is Hoekstra's solid support in Republican-rich West Michigan enough to propel him to victory in the primary? Does the Manoogian mansion civil case and innuendo continue to dog Attorney General Mike Cox, another GOP candidate? As Oakland County ...
