Michigan's Latest Economic Downturn

By Roger Rapoport



It’s no secret that one of the bright spots in the Michigan economy these past few months has been the presidential campaign. Combined spending between the two candidates comes to a staggering $11.5 million on campaign advertising in Michigan alone. An important contribution to the economy of the state with America’s highest unemployment rate, these ads have flooded the airwaves as the candidates themselves have become a major tourist attraction, bringing in plane loads of reporters and focusing significant media attention in a state famous for its coastline and its automakers.

McCain has also done well fund raising here. In my own neighborhood an afternoon fundraiser with 250 donors raised an impressive $1.2 million, which is a pretty good return on his investment, considering the whopping $2.30 he dropped for a pronto pup and a lemonade at a local hot dog stand. But now, a month before the campaign is over, McCain has dumped Michigan, canceling both his TV ads and personal appearances.

One of the reasons I moved back to Michigan from California was the sinking feeling that my vote didn’t count in presidential elections. One of the ways to make a difference in this country is to live in a swing state where you are not throwing your presidential vote away. McCain’s decision to abandon Michigan also means that we will not be seeing any more of Sarah Palin and that really hurts. Palin, who sent her son Trig to Michigan to play with a hockey team where he could attract the eye of major scouts, was heartbroken when she heard that her Michigan itinerary was being canceled:

“Oh c’mon, do we have to?” she emailed McCain campaign leaders.

Whether or not McCain’s poll numbers are looking good he needs to rethink his decision. In a surprising way this presidential campaign is an informal part of the state’s rescue plan. Without McCain sparring with Obama, Michigan’s considerable economic problems -- including an 8.9 percent unemployment rate -- can only get worse. Only when the candidates are on the ground here can they focus their full attention on an economic crisis that has largely escaped the Bush administration.

Even if McCain can’t win the state’s 17 electoral votes, Michigan is an excellent platform for his economic recovery proposals. By abandoning the state to Obama, he is ignoring the potential for a turnaround in his own campaign. If we could just get him to come back, I could give him some investment tips on real estate: the other day a home in Saginaw sold for under $1,000, including back taxes. Try finding a deal like that in Scottsdale or Sedona.

Turning your back on your own campaign workers, the people who have invested in yard signs and block parties, driven hundreds of miles to rallies is (it seems to me) a slap upside the head. If John McCain is willing to hang in there in Iraq, he can certainly muster the courage to forge ahead on Michigan’s battleground. Being thrown over for Ohio and Maine really hurts.