No Regrets

August 6, 2010

The bruising election is over. The state now has one Republican and one Democrat vying for the top job in Lansing.

The post-election media focus is on the winners and losers and how they got there. Yet for some reason, another name is on the radar screen.

Anybody remember John Cherry?

Last December all the pundits in this town knew that come August 4, it would be Lt. Governor John Cherry carrying the mail for his beloved, labor-dominated Democratic Party.

Despite some baggage, he was a shoe-in to nail the nomination. Yet as the state sits here after the primary, John Cherry sits somewhere pondering, perhaps, what might have been — or maybe he’s turned the page and just moved on?

That was his attitude last winter as the dust was settling from his blockbuster decision that set the Democratic primary for governor on its ear. Once he decided to stash his dream of succeeding Gov. Jennifer Granholm, he looked as though a giant mountain had been lifted from his shoulders.

“I’m doing O.K.,” he smiled in his office just off the Senate floor weeks after he made “the decision.” It was the first time he was in town and first time he had really said anything about that decision.

If he had buyer’s remorse, you needed a microscope to find it.

Maybe he was putting on a face for the cameras. No politician wants to appear distraught over what might have been.

The thought of Mr. Cherry and how he’s doing surfaced the other day in a freaky setting.

While on the rubber-chicken circuit about a week before the primary election, the correspondent appeared before an audience of community college presidents and trustees who wanted to know how the gov’s race was coming along.

And in the course of the back and forth, the name John Cherry came up. He is, now and for all times, Exhibit A of how the popular political wisdom can sound so good, but be so wrong.

“Remember, John Cherry was going to be the Democratic nominee for governor,” the audience was told. So much for that.

Moments after the event, one participant came up and whispered, “Did you know Pam Ferris was in the audience?”

Pam Ferris is married to John Cherry.

Egads.

One quickly and mentally rolled the tape back. Had something offensive been said about her husband? Just to make sure, she was approached as she headed out the door.

“I’m fine,” she said and gave a comforting and reassuring smile. “No problems, but there is some stuff I could give you off the record, but not right now.”

And then a revealing insight into how the one-time-first-family-in-waiting was doing.

“This is a switch,” she smiled again. “He’s attending a conference with me and is out playing golf while I’m attending the meetings.” Talk about your role reversals.

Spouse Pam knows her hubby would have been a great governor, and he probably does, too. Many in this town would concur. But it was not to be.

So, as the two winners of the August 3 primary pause for a moment to savor the win, it won’t last long. There are hands to shake, issues to advance, commercials to run, and battles to be fought.

For his part, Mr. Cherry reaffirms what he disclosed last winter. “I have moved on and don’t spend much time thinking about ‘what-ifs.’”

And in case you missed the point, he adds: “From the 18th green, there are no regrets.”

That says it all.

Tim Skubick is Michigan’s Senior Capitol correspondent and has anchored the weekly public TV series “Off the Record” since 1972. He also covers the Capitol and politics for WLNS-TV6 in Lansing.

Tim Skubick Extra Extra… (A weekly bonus only for Dome readers)

Bad Blood
Anybody remember the old Neil Sedeka hit Bad Blood?

You could use it to describe the current relationship between former (and defeated) candidates for governor Pete Hoekstra and Mike Cox.

The West Michigan and wannabe governor is livid.

“They were ugly and misleading at best, and totally untrue is a better description of what they were,” Hoekstra expounds the day after he lost the election he was supposed to win.

His reference is to the $3 million in negative ads that Cox and company used to tear down Fortress Hoekstra, which was his base of support on the west side of the state.

“It gives you a little bit of heartburn every morning” when you see another attack from Cox, Right to Life and who knows who else, Hoekstra observes.

Give Cox credit. He knew he had to dismantle that base, and his ads did just that. And at the get-go, Hoekstra’s response was tepid at best and downright lousy at worst. He spent $5,000 to refute the Cox attack for being a big spender in Congress.

But since the word of the day in the GOP family is “unity,” Hoekstra was asked if he was ready to forgive Cox for the assault.

Oh my. Mr. Hoekstra struggled with that. First he cleared his throat and then stammered just a tad and finally came up with, “Should I forgive him? I’m not going there, O.K? It was not fair play. It was ugly.”

Mr. Cox was asked to check in on all this. “I was talking about the issues,” began his defense of his offensive slam at poor ole Pete.

In the spirit of party unity, don’t you owe him an apology?

“Yeah, except there is not a problem that I’m aware of,” he smiled.

Cox was informed that Hoekstra did have a problem, and Cox said he had not talked with his former opponent about it. And then he offered, “You’re just trying to instigate.”

Everybody sing, “Baaaaad Blood. Baaaad Blood.”

The Envelope Please
We know the real winners in Tuesday’s primary. Now it’s time for some lesser campaign awards.

The envelope, please.

Best Commercial: Rick Snyder’s nerd commercial. It captured everyone’s attention, stimulating chatter all over the joint on whether it was the right image to win the governor’s race. It moved him from Rick Who into a dead heat for the nomination.

Worst Yard Sign: Rick Snyder again. His “Rick Michigan” sign defies all logic in political advertising. The guy’s name is Snyder not Michigan and every voter looking for Rick Michigan may or may not have figured out who the heck he is.

Best Strategy Concept: Pete Hoekstra with his Fortress Hoekstra idea. He started the campaign with a strong base on the west side of the state, which is why opponents tried to tear the fortress down with a ton of anti-Hoekstra commercials. He was a dead duck if the fort ever was dismantled.

Second place also goes to the Holland guy. Five years ago, long before he thought about running for governor, he landed on the concept of appearing on FOX News as often as he could. It built his name recognition with the very voters he needed to send him to Lansing.

Best Makeover and Teflon Candidate: Mike Cox. He went from an aggressive Marine taking a hill to being a polite gentleman thanking the moderator in one debate for every question that was asked. Internal polling may have shown that Marines are O.K. for storming beaches, but female voters are looking for Dudley Do-Right.

Best Idea that Failed: Mike Bouchard. It looked brilliant picking Terri Lynn Land as a running mate. It was a way to peck away at Fortress Hoekstra, given her strong roots on the west side of the state. However, it would have taken a Hail Mary, not a Hail Terri, for him to pull that one out.

Makes the Most Sense Award: Tom George. He was the conscience of the campaign, sniping at others who over-promised too many tax cuts without enough cash to pay for them. He was spot-on, responsible and very Lt. Governor like.

Can’t Pull the Trigger Award: Hands down, Andy Dillon. His decision to run was two years in the making, which fostered the feeling that his heart was never in it. He disagrees.

Head of the Curve/Gutsy Move Award: Virg Bernero. Long before anybody had the nerve to say John Cherry could not get the Democratic nomination for governor, there was Virg mouthing off and getting it right.