Analysis
This story is a follow up to the initial announcement from the DeVos camp that Ruth Johnson was chosen as his Lt. Governor. There were several Republicans cited in the story; DeVos, State Reps Jerry Kooiman and Barbara Vander Veen, Peter Seechia and Johnson herself. In each case, do the comments provide readers with information about the candidate or just opinionated comments? The only real qualification information was what the original announcement included that said “She spearheaded a series of reforms.” The only other source in the story was Craig Ruff of Public Sector Consultants in Lansing. Ask yourself if what Ruff says adds to your understanding of DeVos’s choice for Lt. Governor?
Article Text
Dick DeVos’ choice of a No. 2 won’t necessarily make him No. 1 on Election Day, those who know politics say.
But Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson — tapped Monday to be DeVos’ running mate for governor — brings what a second-in-command should to the ticket.
She is a serious politician with experience as a state representative and an ability to draw votes in Oakland County, a must-win locale for Republicans in November.
An important woman
Gender is no small consideration for Republican DeVos as he seeks to unseat Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
“The most important factor to me is Ruth as a person,” DeVos, an Ada Township businessman, said at a press conference at Forest Hills Central High School, his alma mater. “She’s a tremendous complement to what I bring.”
Johnson pronounced herself “honored” and “privileged” by her selection as the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, which will be ratified by the state GOP convention in Novi on Aug. 25 and 26. She sounded the major theme of the DeVos candidacy — the economy.
“This race isn’t about me. It’s about all of us. It’s about our families. It’s about our seniors,” said Johnson, who was accompanied by her husband, Don Nanney, their 7-year-old daughter, Emily, and her mother, Ginny Johnson. “Michigan has to change or wither.”
Do no harm
In choosing a running mate, candidates for governor and president generally take a first-do-no-harm philosophy, said Craig Ruff of Public Sector Consultants in Lansing.
“A running mate can only get you in trouble,” Ruff said. “He or she cannot help you.”
Former Ambassador to Italy Peter Secchia said lieutenant governor picks are important but generally don’t have a huge impact on campaigns.
“I don’t know that anybody’s going to go to the debate of the lieutenant governor, let alone cover it,” said Secchia, a DeVos adviser. “So what is it? It’s a back-up person. Nobody knows who the number two is at Steelcase. You couldn’t name the number two at Wolverine World Wide. They have to be people who are dependable, reliable and loyal.”
Signaling priorities
DeVos clearly knows the importance of Oakland County, which is filled with Republican voters, many moderates. Granholm bested Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus in Oakland in the last gubernatorial election.
In 1998, by contrast, former Republican Gov. John Engler crushed Democratic attorney Geoffrey Fieger there.
“The perception in southeast Michigan is that, hailing from Western Michigan, Dick DeVos does not understand Southeast Michigan,” Ruff said. Choosing Johnson is an attempt to blunt that perception.
Johnson was known in the Legislature for her work on land use questions, local government issues and education.
She spearheaded a series of reforms aimed at intermediate school districts after financial abuses at the Oakland Intermediate School District were revealed.
Local GOP lawmakers who worked with Johnson were thrilled by DeVos’ pick.
“From my perspective, she’s a class act,” said Rep. Jerry Kooiman, R-Grand Rapids. “She’s very knowledgeable on the issues, and someone who can attract votes we need in Oakland County.”
Rep. Barbara Vander Veen, R-Allendale, shared a Lansing apartment with Johnson for the four years they served in the Legislature together.
“I’m confident she could run the state should she need to take over for Dick,” Vander Veen said. “She’s hard-working and conscientious. She knows when she needs to be aggressive. She knows when to listen.”
Related posts:
