He might not have run an intensive campaign, he might have stars in his eyes of larger political aspirations and, well, we might even disagree with some of his politics, but, by and large, Representative Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, is still the best choice to represent you in the House of Representatives.
In the race for the 8th District Congressional seat - who represents you in the Washington, D.C. House of Representatives - between incumbent Rogers and challenger Bob Alexander, D-East Lansing, it breaks down to one campaign being run against the record of the other - the latter of which may or may not exist. We'll explain.
Alexander's platform is essentially a self-defeatist, anti-Rogers attack. In meeting with The State News editorial board, Alexander spent more time expounding on why not to vote for Rogers than he did on his impetus to represent. Rogers, in diametric opposition, is basically yet to emerge as a candidate up for re-election. Fast-rising Republicans in largely Republican districts can sometimes get away with that.
As a federal congressman, Alexander promises to charm MSU students by countering the redistricting of the 8th District that elected Rogers in 2000 and has disenfranchised many student voters. He promises to raise the minimum wage, use federal tax money to spur employment, remove U.S. troops from Iraq and focus on local terror. Aside from the anti-Rogers rhetoric, Alexander is more interested in getting John Kerry elected president. How we wish this race was in a midterm year.
Since he was elected, Rogers has moved up quickly in the Republican party. He's been active globally, and he's attuned to securing more federal research grants for MSU and implementing them here at home. He supports securing the Rare Isotope Accelerator project, which would send MSU $1 billion in government grant money, and he's adamantly against moving the MSU College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids. After those positions, though, the attraction of Rogers gets a touch fuzzy.
Rogers supports Proposal 2, which would legally define marriage as between a man and a woman, but we wholeheartedly do not. He says he wants to contain job loss in the Lansing area and secure manufacturing in the region to spur growth, but job loss in the area has continued. Rogers idolized the long, difficult war in Iraq by citing the importance of the upcoming free elections, but we nevertheless part company with his stance that war in Iraq is justified.
Alexander does have the endorsement of Gov. Jennifer Granholm, but, unfortunately, Rogers is the only viable candidate in this race. Rogers made it more difficult for students to vote in their college towns. We even agree with Alexander that Rogers has been deceitful to the young vote. But, what's worse is that Alexander doesn't even like his own chances against Rogers. How can the rest of us?
For whatever wrong moves Rogers made as a state legislator - and based on his staunchly conservative values, there have been plenty - he is the best man for this job right now. Alexander has run a formidable, well-meaning campaign, but the "Anyone but Rogers" mentality is not something we encourage voters to take with them into a voting booth.
