Deb Price at the Detroit News is reporting on an EPIC-MRA poll (a polling firm in Michigan with known ties to the Democratic Party) that shows Joe Knollenberg with an 7-8 point lead. The poll is already being reinterpreted to mean Joe Knollenberg (and also Tim Walhberg) "could lose". EPIC is the same firm that predicted MCRI, or Proposal 2 of 2006, would lose.
Here's a clip from the DN:
A poll by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA, released exclusively Monday to The Detroit News, WXYZ-Action News and three outstate stations showed Knollenberg of Bloomfield Hills ahead of Democrat Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township, 43-36 percent.
Walberg of Tipton leads Schauer, a state senator from Battle Creek by 43-40 percent, which is within the poll's 4.9-point error margin. A decisive 14 percent of voters in the district are undecided.
"These poll numbers show that both Walberg and Knollenberg could lose in November," said EPIC-MRA pollster Bernie Porn. "To keep their seats, they have to make their challengers the issue and attack on such issues as taxes and energy."
Our sources have suggested that one should be particularly careful looking at this poll given that the "push-pull" questions were particularly lopsided in favor of Peters. The poll is so fresh that we have not had an opportunity to see any details, and EPIC is an unlikely firm to release anything like public cross-tabs that would allow fair analysis. Hinting at this question-tilting is this clip:
To win the district, Porn said Peters must highlight his biography, adding that his age -- 49 -- may help him over Knollenberg's age of 75. When voters were read the biographical highlights of each candidate, they favored Peters by 43-39 percent.
"They both have compelling bios. So why does Peters gain so much. I think age is one thing that may have some impact. (Knollenberg) is four years older than John McCain," Porn said. "When you get into the 70s that influences folks. But it would have be dealt with delicately."
If Democrats really believe this mularkey, then go for it. Hit Knollenberg on his age. To borrow from Ronald Reagan, I'm sure voters will hold Peters youth and inexperience against him in such a situation. And the "presentation of bios" hints at the bias - clearly EPIC presented the best negative shot it could on Joe without hardballing Peters as much. I doubt they put Peters experience in leading the Taxation of the Poor (Lottery) Commission in his bio?
And check out the name of that EPIC-MRA spokesperson - Bernie PORN. Folks at MichiganLiberal once proclaimed my name - Chetly Zarko - to be "Porn-worthy," but I can't even compete with a weekend with Bernie.
The Detroit News is reporting in its "briefs" section that Dr. Jack Kevorkian has rented a room in the Troy Community Center this evening from 7pm-10pm.
Troy: Kevorkian to hold talks
Independent congressional candidate Jack Kevorkian is inviting all voters in the 9th Congressional District to attend a discussion from 7-10 p.m. Thursday at the Troy Community Center, 3170 Livernois. Topics include prison reform, crime control, access to universal health care, and affordable energy supplies and sources. Kevorkian is running as an independent against U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, and former Michigan lottery czar Gary Peters, a Democrat from Bloomfield Township.
Gary Peters' decided to Photoshop/Airbrush out the "Polo" logo on his shirt in his literature. Not that I have anything against Photoshop, but using it to deceive, rather than enhance (lighting techniques, cropping, etc. all seem reasonable), is at least questionable ethically (while there is no rulebook in political literature design, common sense should apply). The "Polo" brand carries with it a somewhat "elitist" image which doesn't with the common-guy image Gary might prefer.
The funnier thing is that they did it to one of the pictures on the same piece of literature but forgot to do it to the other picture with the same shirt.
"Part 4" - The first three parts are over at www.OutsideLansing.com. We bring it over here to draw Oakland readers attention to the whole thread because it is so important to the 9th District race between Joe Knollenberg, and his Democrat contenders Nancy Skinner and Gary Peters. Zarko Research has been doing a bit of FOIA at CMU on Peters, and we have results.
Please wait. Folks need to know that Gary P. is serioiusly considering running for Congress against Congressman Joe Knollenberg of Oakland County in 2008. Joe Knollenberg is someone who we deal with relative to any CMU federal funding so this could get sticky. I would alsk ask if campus folks even interviewed former BLANK. I passed his name on to Gary S. [Shapiro, Interim Provost] who I know passed it on to Del R. [Ringquist, Political Science Dept] Gary asked Del to contact me first before talking to BLANK To my knowledge I did not receive a call which makes me think BLANK was not considered. Based on my discussion with BLANK I think we are crazy not to at least consider BLANK (No I promised him nothing). BLANK served in the LONG BLANK He is also from the west side of the state which would be good outreach for CMU in my opinion. I will do whatever I can to assist in this effort. For all I know GP [Gary Peters] told the Committee he was absolutely not running for the Congress so no harm, no foul. Even with that I think BLANK should be considered. kw. [Kathleen Wilbur, CMU employee]
That's odd, because Dean Gates (who, in Part 2 we expose as having had the concern about Peters candidacy herself as early as March), wrote this in August:
He was selected for this position in March, 2007, some five months prior to his announcement that he was going to run for a congressional seat.
Not an outright lie since it is factually correct that his "official announcement" was in August, but it heavily spins and masks the fact that CMU, including Gates herself, knew of and had serious ethical concerns about hiring an active political candidate for this notorious position. The implication is clear - that CMU didn't know of the run and/or that the mere speculation of running itself shouldn't have concerned decision-makers (and the implication by Gates that Lennox's position against Peters itself was unethical or merely "partisan" when Gates herself at one time expressed similar concerns).
