Ignorance is the biggest issue we face

WJRT released the results of a poll to determine name recognition of the Michigan gubernatorial candidates this fall.The results are not good as the owner of a couple of Detroit sports teams gets the nod simply because their last name is Ilitch.


(WJRT) -- (01/29/10) -- Michigan will have a new governor just ten months from now.

Several political figures have announced they are running, and some have just been mentioned as possibilities.

According to an ABC12 Epic-MRA poll none have very high name recognition, except for one.

The primary election is in August, giving candidates just eight months to get their names out to voters.


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For the Democratic primary 38 percent of those polled say if the primary election was held today, they would be undecided about who to vote for. Twenty-three percent say they would vote for University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch. Speaker of the House Andy Dillon and everyone else on the list received less than 10 percent.

On the Republican side 22 percent of those polled said they would be undecided if the primary election was held today. Thirty-two percent said they would vote for Attorney General Mike Cox. U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra got 25 percent and 16 percent said they would vote for Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee isn't sure how much these numbers actually mean at this point. "I'm not sure that that's the critical question right now. Campaigns generate name ID. Twelve months before he became governor, very few people in Michigan knew who John Engler was."

The poll also showed if the election for governor was held today, a Republican would likely be elected. Even with different matchups, the Republican candidate was picked.

Also in the poll were matchups of various Republican and Democratic candidates in a general election.

In each case the Republican had more support.


The positive is that it shows a Republican would win,however,I never feel comfortable with an uninformed citizenry making choices on such a thin premise.I mean,Granholm got re-elected even after a horrific first term didn't she?If the GOP can't win this time around after such an absymal decade,they should just pack it in and go fishing.Still one of the few things we enjoy here in our great state.More to come...