While I am thoroughly pleased with the Democratic Party’s candidates for president, I fear they have already made a blunder in regard to the general election by either not participating or campaigning in the Democratic primary. This past week has featured the three Republican candidates most likely to win the nomination, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, meeting Michigan citizens and actively campaigning for support.
Democratic candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards, on the other hand, decided to sit out the Democratic primary as a ploy to either appease voters in New Hampshire because that state was forced to move up its primary, or as a means to punish the Michigan Democratic Party’s attempt to make Michigan relevant in the selection process. Hillary Clinton, while not removing her name from the ballot, did not campaign or visit the state in anticipation of the primary.
These actions could later haunt the Democrats when it comes to the general election. Michigan is what many consider to be a “purple state” due to narrow victories by Al Gore and John Kerry, as well as the narrow margins in both the Michigan House and Senate. Considering Michigan could go either ‘red’ or ‘blue’ this fall, the Democrats have already given up ground to the Republicans. Republicans have already forged relationships with Michigan voters and will not hesitate to remind voters that the Democratic Party ignored Michiganians in the primary process.
This will likely make connecting with voters more difficult for the Democratic candidate, as the general election will be that candidate’s introduction to voters. Considering the 17 electoral votes at stake in Michigan, it is disheartening that the Democrats may have already given the Republicans a running start in a state the Democrats can ill afford to lose if they plan to assume the Oval Office in 2009.
Christopher Slavin
first-year law student
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