It’s a complicated ballot this year. Here’s some help!

I’m going to pin this to the top of the blog today to make sure everyone sees it before they head to the polls to vote. In this post is a link to a printable Voters Guide for the non-partisan parts of the Michigan statewide ballot. There are two on each page — one for you and one for a friend. Please share with others.

The 2012 ballot in Michigan is a complicated one, particularly the non-partisan section where we will vote for the Supreme Court seats and the various statewide ballot proposals. In order to help you sort through this part of the ballot, we have put together a Voters Guide. You can download it HERE (pdf). We’ve put two on each page so you can have an extra one for yourself or to give away to friends, family and coworkers.

Obviously, I am recommending that you vote a straight Democratic Party ticket. We have been assured by our County Clerk that you can fill in the spot for your favorite Democrat (like President Obama, for example) and still fill in the straight party spot without spoiling your ballot.

Aside from that, after the jump are the Eclectablog choices for the statewide non-partisan candidates and ballot proposals along with links to interviews with the Michigan Supreme Court candidates and my posts on the six ballot proposals.

Let’s go to tape, Mark…

Mark Ouimet rode the 2010 Republican wave to replace Democrat Pam Byrnes as the Michigan State House Representative of the 52nd District. In a dirty campaign with hideous robocalls against his Democratic opponent Christine Green (listen to them HERE, HERE, and HERE), Ouimet appealed to voters with a claim of being moderate and willing to work across the aisle with Democrats. Two years have passed and just how many times has Ouimet voted against the majority of his own party?

0.8%.

Much more after the jump.

Money should not be able to buy THIS

Sixth (and last) in a series on the ballot proposals on Michigan’s November 6, 2012 ballot. Read them all HERE.

Michigan Proposal 6 is about one thing: allowing billionaire Matty Moroun to purchase a constitutional amendment that will secure his monopoly on bridges and tunnels to Canada. Period. There is nothing else really to be said about it. The Proposal, which requires a statewide vote on any further international bridges and tunnels in Michigan, even includes a clause that excludes Moroun’s existing bridges and tunnel from such a vote.

It’s that vulgar.

More after the jump.

Stop the movement to crush labor unions

Fifth in a series on the ballot proposals on Michigan’s November 6, 2012 ballot. Read them all HERE.

I have written about Proposal 2 since it was first conceived under the banner of “Protect Our Jobs”. It later was renamed “Protect Working Families” in recognition of the fact that supporting the right of our labor brothers and sisters to bargain collectively for better wages, benefits and working conditions benefits ALL working families in our state.

Details on why you should VOTE YES! ON PROPOSAL 2 AND PROTECT WORKING FAMILIES after the jump.

This dude knows foreign policy and doesn’t like what he sees

Four Star General Colin Powell, the Secretary of State under George W. Bush, gave a full-throated endorsement of the reelection of President Obama this morning on the CBS This Morning show that was as much a condemnation of Mitt Romney’s “Romnesia” and constant shifting of positions on foreign policy and other issues as anything else. Four Star General Colin Powell, the Secretary of State under George W. Bush, gave a full-throated endorsement of the reelection of President Obama this morning on the CBS This Morning show that was as much a condemnation of Mitt Romney’s “Romnesia” and constant shifting of positions on foreign policy and other issues as anything else. He told Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell, “You know, I voted for him in 2008 and I plan to stick with him in 2012, and I’ll be voting for he and Vice President Joe Biden next month.”

In his endorsement, he characterized Romney’s foreign policy as “a moving target” and pointed out that the candidate is advised by and has views enspoused by neoconservatives with a thirst for war in the Middle East.

Video and transcript after the jump.

Do NOT let the tea party and Mackinac Center assume control

Fourth in a series on the ballot proposals on Michigan’s November 6, 2012 ballot. Read them all HERE.

Of all of the proposals on Michigan’s 2012 ballot, Prop 5 is probably the most insidious. Carefully cloaked in simple language, it appears benign. All they are asking for, say proponents, is a simple two-thirds majority vote in both the State House AND the State Senate on any tax increases. Seems pretty straightforward.

It’s not. If Prop 5 passes, it will ensure that Michigan never sees a revenue increase again. Period. No arguing here. Because, seriously, people, when did 2/3 of both chambers of the State Legislature EVER agree on anything? It means that this state will be stuck at the level of revenue it has now. And it’s worth reminding you that the Michigan Republicans just enacted a massive $2 billion a year tax break.

More after the jump.

It’s truly frightening how close to the Vice Presidency, and with John McCain’s advanced age, the actual Presidency, Sarah Palin was. While there has been little doubt over the past four years that she’s unqualified, she seems to go out of her way to prove how dangerous she would have been in a position of national power.

While there has always been an undercurrent of racism in her remarks about and attitude toward President Obama, today she tore down the curtain to reveal her true racist self.

How? With a single tweet (after the jump.)

This one is easy

Third in a series on the ballot proposals on Michigan’s November 6, 2012 ballot. Read them all HERE.

Regular readers of this website know very well that I abhor Public Act 4 — Michigan’s so-called Emergency Manager Law. It is the most outrageous government overreach in my lifetime, put in place by hypocritical Republicans who claim that they are for “smaller government”. The fact is, there is no larger government intrusion into the lives of Michiganders than PA 4. Period.
Click through to read why you should VOTE NO ON PROPOSAL 1.

Janice Daniels: too stupid to govern

Tea Party Mayor of Troy, Michigan and all around embarrassment to the state of Michigan, Janice Daniels, is in the news again for once again displaying an astonishing level of ineptitude and stupidity. I have written about Daniels multiple times in the past and it’s hard to say which of the highly offensive and insulting things that she has done is the worst. This instance certainly must be a top contender.

At a recent ceremony to recognize an amazing community member, Mary Kerwin, she chose instead to disrespect her by arguing with her before presenting her a Proclamation of Recognition for being the Troy Distinguished Citizen of the Year for 2012.

I’m not kidding. More after the jump.

WTF?

Here’s something you may have missed during last night’s debate. Although the debate was supposed to be about foreign policy, it often veered back to domestic policy and the economy. During one of those veers, Mitt Romney said this:

“Come on our website. You look at how we get to a balanced budget within eight to 10 years. We do it by getting — by reducing spending in a whole series of programs.”

See why this is an unbelievably hypocritical statement after the jump.

Drubbing. Clobbered. Embarrassed. Schooled. Pwned.

I made a prediction last night and it was this:

“This debate won’t change the polls. It will harden the camps and confuse the stupid people who are still ‘undecided’.”

Why? Because we are so polarized in the USA right now that the people who are paying attention and actually get most of what’s going on in our national discussion have already chosen their candidate and are simply looking for reinforcement of the choice. The remaining people — the so-called “undecideds” — are simply low-information voters. Which is, of course, the nice way to say “dumb”.

Seriously, if you can’t make up your mind between these two candidates by now, there is something wrong.

Much more analysis after the jump.