The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

Mitt vs. McCain

We are only three days out from the January 15th Michigan primary, and things are getting testy between McCain and Romney.

Romney attacked McCain for being defeatist about the jobs lost in auto factories. I found his comments pretty refreshing and realistic, two attribues that Romney's comments rarely have.

McCain, who wasn't in Michigan on Friday, unveiled a radio ad that attempts to capitalize on his reputation as a maverick on Capitol Hill and as someone who isn't afraid to tell hard truths. Still, he was caught in a war of words with Romney, who has latched onto McCain's statements that some lost automotive jobs will never return to Michigan.

At his sparsely attended event, Romney suggested McCain's attitude is defeatist.

"I'm committed to helping industry and manufacturers. It's unacceptable to me to see any jobs go away," he said.

For a "business man", Romney seems awfully naive about how to run businesses. The auto industry as it existed 30 years ago is untenable today. Huge bloated bureaucracies, overpaid and overstaffed union factories with insane pensions and health insurance promises are not the hallmark of a successful business model. The UAW and Big Three management have brought us to this point, where foreign manufacturers have become more innovative and more efficient. Instead of clinging to an old model of business where hundreds of thousands of high paid factory jobs drove Michigan's economy, we need to figure out what Michigan is going to do for the future. Michigan has a bunch of universities, maybe we should try to keep the grads in Michigan in high tech jobs? Trying to cling to that nostalgic view of Michigan's economy has gotten us where we are, in a so-called one state recession. The unions have brought us where we are, and we are not going to be successful in the future by holding on to that failed model and trying to return to it. Is it harsh to the ears to hear that some of those jobs, many perhaps, have left the state and never come back? Yep, but it is also true. Romney is an empty suit, who parrots back what he has been taught to say in particular situations. That is why so many conservatives leaders like him, he will do what he is told. Quite frankly that is not what I want. The GOP and America can do better.

No one seems to be giving Huckabee much of a shot in Michigan, but if you have ever been to Grand Rapids (a city of over a million), it is heavily evangelical and there are churches seemingly every 50 feet. I think Huckabee will do very well in Western and Northern Michigan. We shall see what Tuesday brings...