Ah, Donald, we knew you when you were just a lowly, and we mean lowly, president/candidate. After Joe Biden won the presidency, you threw the tantrum of all tantrums. Instead of throwing chairs at the legislators and then-Vice President Mike Pence, you threw a 10,000-plus enraged armed mob at them. You thought you would be president aka dictator the rest of your life. But people do not like you anymore.
Around 1,300 people attended a conference in Michigan Friday and Saturday. The Detroit News conducted a straw poll. Here was the real kicker. Slightly over 740 Republicans voted for candidates other than Donald Trump.
- Around 60 percent of those who took the poll said that they would vote Republican even if that candidate did not believe Trump’s big lie, that the election had been stolen from him.
- About 44 percent said his endorsement would make no difference in who they supported.
- And a surprising 11 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Trump.
Senator Lindsay Graham was a member of the panel that spoke to the audience. He said he “hoped” the ex-president would run again.
But here was the gist of most speakers, that Republicans should focus on “principles rather than personality.”
Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley said:
‘This poll suggests that Donald Trump’s grip on the party is not quite as tight as people think. I doubt anyone would have expected his support would have been under 50% with this crowd.’
GOP Michigan State Police Michael Brown of Stevensville took 2 percent joked:
‘I just thought it was hilarious. It’s the second time that someone has tried to prop him up in the race.’
Right-wing activist Ryan Kelley of Allendale earned 8.4 percent of the vote. He remarked:
‘Life’s not fair, No. 1. I am not going to sit on the sidelines and whine about. Well, they’re doing this or they doing that and that puts me at a disadvantage.You know what my advantage is? It’s hard work, getting out there shaking hands, meeting people and doing the hard work.’
- Trump still got the majority of votes taking 47.5 percent of them.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had 25 percent.
- Kristi Noem earned votes from 8 percent.
- Ted Cruz, who also was a speaker, took 6 percent.
- Nikki Haley took in just under 6 percent.
Michigan GOP nominations for governor did not attend the conference. Their reason? They felt that the party leaders unfairly favored former Detroit Police Chief James Craig.
Then, there were the Straw Poll’s numbers in the Governor’s race:
- Detroit Police Chief James Craig took won with 58 percent of the vote.
- Conservative commentator Tudor Dixon of Norton Shores came in second with 19 percent of the vote.
- Right-wing activist Ryan Kelley of Allendale earned 8.4 percent.
- Soldano got 8.2 percent.
- Pastor Ralph Rebandt of Washington took 3 percent.
- Michigan State Police Michael Brown of Stevensville had 2 percent.
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