“Against the wind
I’m still running against the wind
I’m older now but still running against the wind
Well, I’m older now and still running
Against the wind…” — Bob Seger
Allegan County, in the election last Tuesday, was as red as red can be. It was redder than Santa’s suit or Rudolph’s nose. Redder than a beet. Redder than Eric the Red.
The county supported virtually no Democrats, not even Gretchen Whitmer or Debbie Stabenow. In the latter race, the county finally embraced a black man, John James, who was spared the indignity suffered by Bill Lucas in the 1986 gubernatorial contest.
I am I suggesting racism? Yes.
But I hereby assert Allegan County was swimming against a nation-wide tide and running against the wind.
We were told that the blue tsunami didn’t happen, that it was just a wave. We were told by our commander-in-chief Wednesday that he was pleased with the results and felt vindicated by keeping control of the U.S. Senate, despite losing the House.
I agreed at first with the conventional wisdom and viewed the election as just a mild rebuke of Donald Trump.
But since then, on further review and attempting to learn “the rest of the story,” I’ve come to a different conclusion. Allow me to explain:
- It is true the Republican Party was able to hold the Senate majority and even increase its lead slightly, but when digging deeper we must understand the GOP had only six seats on the ballot among 35 possible. And of those six, the GOP failed to defend two because of victories by Democrats Jacky Rosen in Nevada and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona. And the book is still out on Florida.
To be sure, Democrats lost three, in North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, but Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly and Claire McCaskill were notorious for being the “Blue Dog” variety of Dem, a sort of Republican light.
- The Democratic Party seems to be on course to flip 37 seats in the U.S. House, the largest number since the post-Watergate election of 1974.
- And I hear tell 71% of the candidates Trump supported lost Tuesday.
- In Michigan, Democratic women Gretchen Whitmer, Dana Nessel and Jocelyn Benson flipped the governor’s, attorney general’s and secretary of state’s offices and Debbie Stabenow held on to her Senate seat.
- Two congressional seats were flipped as well, and the GOP lost its super majority in the State Senate and saw its sizable lead in the State House dwindle to six.
- Despite customary Republican victories in State House, State Senate and Congressional races in West Michigan, the upstarts managed to make inroads in vote percentage totals. Congressman Fred Upton never had an opponent in 32 years get more than 35 percent, but Matt Longjohn picked up 45%.
State Senate candidate Garnet Lewis dared to be great by garnering almost 40% before she was seen very publicly Thursday evening cheering on her favorite sports team, the Central Michigan women’s hoopsters and Presley Hudson.
State Rep. candidate Ron Draayer was leading incumbent State Rep. Steven Johnson until the Allegan County results came in. Draayer got 43 percent, the highest for a Democratic challenger ever in the 72nd District, even better than Steve Shoemaker’s 41% in 2016.
I admit I was surprised by the numbers in the Fourth District race for Allegan County Commissioner. Incumbent Mark DeYoung won with more than 60% of the vote, despite an aggressive campaign by Wayland businessman Mike Salisbury and despite his troubling recent habit of being a no-show at public meetings.
Jill Dunham, chairwoman of the Allegan County Democratic Party, posted on Facebook in the wake of the election:
“All the Democratic candidates in Allegan County lost on Tuesday. I will not be deterred.
“We need progressives and conservatives working together in every community.
“Progressives push for change. Conservatives ensure stability.
“We balance each other. For a community to thrive, we need change agents and we need stabilizers. “Both are important and neither one is better than the other. I’m a change agent. I’m not a good stabilizer, but I need and value stabilizers — even when I find them annoying!
“I will doggedly continue to encourage honorable, respectful conversation.”
I am reminded of the very political sign that very effectively has explained the West Michigan persistent one-party system — “We like the way things are around here. Let’s keep it that way. Vote Republican.”
But after a forensic examination of 2018 election results in the nation, this state and even in Allegan County, the Dems could very well be singing:
“So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end.
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction.” — The Spokesmen, “Dawn of Correction,” recorded in 1965 in response to Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction.”
So your conclusion is “racism”?
Nice…but utter nonsense. Allegan County voters are not socialists. We don’t want Government to make our life decisions for us. We want the State and Federal Government to leave people the hell alone unless someone’s actions put oil, PFAS, lead etc in our our or air or water. The message is, ” Go Away” and stay out of my family’s tailpipe or their chimney. Stay out of my home, leave my guns alone and go after people that polluted our water 50 years ago when regulations didn’t exist. They know that PFAS, etc isn’t because of the GOP ort the DNC. They have enough critical thought and ability to reason left to know that PFAS/PFOS and lead pipes have no party affiliation at this point.
At the Federal level we want secure borders, we want a country.
Is it racism not to think that the country has bigger problems than race, gender, sexual orientation etc? You want a look into almost anyone from rural Michigan? We really, honestly don’t care about race, gender or who you sleep with. We don’t want more taxes or waste for garbage ideas from Government. We want Government to just let us live and leave us alone.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the answer to anything we need isn’t found in the Democratic Party.
I must disagree with your comment that the rural people care not about race. Sexual orientation, gender, religion, etc
Rural residents are usually very conservative, hence all those issues are important to them. Does this make them racist, they may not think so but by definition they sure look that way.
You dislike government having rules about pollution, building codes, etc.
You would like s secure border.
You do not want more taxes.
How do you propose we maintain a secure border , an active military. healthcare. Social Security.,our rosds, keep out environment livable. ???
Nothing can get accomplished with out money and that money has to come from us the taxpayers.
You are correct we are not yet a socialist form of government…but many are trying hard to get us there.
Government no matter what form will never let its citizens be left alone. I can not think of anywhere on earth.one could go live and never come in contact with.some form of rule , regulation ,or tax levied by some government or person
Mr. Smit, please re-read MacDougal’s response. He wants government involved in federal and state matters and follow the Constitution. Government’s job is to protect the country from invasion and to right public wrongs, such as punishing polluters and helping the folks affected. Mr. Young paints all of Allegan County and much of West Michigan as racists, which is his right to say. I’m surprised he lives here instead of the enlightened east side of the state where he once lived in racial harmony and peace. Yeah, Detroit is his ideal of diversity and racial harmony at its finest. Maybe he should think about moving further west to Chicago? Then he wouldn’t be tainted by the cretins living here.
I guess I must have been confused by the comment for government to stay away from his life.
I find it hard to see any government staying away from its citizens. We may not want to accept the fact, but government is involved in their citizens lives. Not necessarily dictating their every move, society does have to have rules to live by in a harmonious way.
I also stand by my comment …if you want the past problems (which were legally done. Because of no knowledge what affects their actions would do in the future). These cleanups are expensive and we the taxpayers pay the bill. Hence, we will always need more taxation if we expect improvements in the areas of pollution.
You may not agree but, if one listens closely to people, observe their actions. One can come to the conclusion that yes West Michigan is no different from the rest of the Country in the area of racism. We would all like to believe there is not a racist bone in our body. Except a closer examination of our words, thoughts and actions since our birth will reveal that somewhere in time our words, thoughts, and actions were racist.This does not mean people are not trying to change, they are.
So in defense of Mr Young (whom I hardly ever agree with), there is no place in this United States where racism does not exist… But to say it doesn’t exist in Michigan is not true… to say Michigan is racist is not true either.
We just have to acknowledge even though we do not want to, it is still here. It is possible that some areas in Allegan County tend to have more racial tendencies than ours. But this doesn’t make it a horrible county.
Thanks for that.
I just find it incredible that anyone could allege racism against people that voted overwhelmingly for two people (John James and Kurtis Wilder) we are claimed to hate in Allegan County because they are not white.
Are we out of step with everyone else? Maybe we are. If we are, I don’t want to be in step with ideologies that embrace policies that will only lead a further breakdown in the fabric of our nation and Liberty.
Winnie Brinks had a huge win to turn a Michigan Senate seat from red to blue. She’s smart. She’s hard working. She’ll do a great job.