LANSING, Mich. (WJBK) -
Mike Duggan for governor. The hearts of
some Democrats go pitter-patter at the prospects that he might get in.
The folks who anoint front-runners would certainly dub him just that if he did.
Mr. Duggan's resume includes work at the county level, he fought for
truth, justice and the American way as a prosecutor, turned around a failing
hospital in Detroit and has solid connections with the
business community. In other words he could give Mr. Snyder a run for his
money.
But alas it is not to
be.
For those of you who think these "he's-not-running"
stories are meaningless, here's your cue to bail out for the sport
section. For everybody else who understands that when certain candidates
drop out it does carry some cachet for the rest of the race, please continue.
Here's the inside skinny on the Duggan for
Governor boomlet that is not booming or letting.
He is totally focused on running for
Mayor of Detroit as you already know. Look for that major
announcement in two weeks. He is telling folks he will not be deterred, even
though some have suggested being the mayor of a city operated by a non-elected
Emergency Manager is like the U of M b-ball team trying to beat MSU.
Here's the Duggan calculus on being
governor. He's assuming if he was
elected, that the Republicans would continue to control the house and or senate severely
restricting his ability to do squat. He's surveyed the redistricting
maps written by the R's and their control is likely for the next ten years.
Hence he's concluded
why bother?
Besides if he wins the mayor's post,
eventually the EM will make all the tough decisions and eventually handover a
solvent city to the mayor who can then expand on that turnaround. And before his four year term is over, no one
will remember the EM, and Mr. D.can scarf up a lot of the
credit for saving Motown.
Then if he wants to
run for governor later on, he can.
Of course all this is irrelevant if Detroiters don't do their part by
electing him. And at this read, let's just say he is not a shoe in to win this
thing, either.
