More in a continuing series of observations made during my recent trip to western Michigan.
There’s a presidential election coming up this fall, one that will be the most important in our lifetime. At least that’s what I hear from my activist friends.
But I’d never know it by driving around. There are no yard signs for Barack Obama or (as would be more likely in these parts) Mitt Romney. Granted, they don’t have any primary challengers, but I’d think that in yet another epoch election, at least a few partisans would put up a sign for a presidential candidate.
But there are plenty of signs for other political offices, including a few whose existence I have long forgotten: county commissioner, county sheriff, city council member, probate judge, township supervisor, township clerk, and township trustee. Mind you, the population of the townships I was driving through never rose above 4,000 people. Still, if measured by yard signs, there is plenty of interest in local politics.
To judge by my exercise, Sen. Debbie Stabenow can rest easy. I didn’t see any signs for her, and I didn’t see any for any of her would-be opponents. You’d think that with a contested race for the Republican nominee, there would be signs for Clark Durant, or more likely in this location, Pete Hoekstra.
Nope. Not a one.
It took a long time before I saw any signs for legislative offices. Then I saw. . . three. At first I was surprised, but I suspect that legislative seats are like U.S. House seats: Most are “owned” by one party, and primary contests are rare.
Michigan has some other elected offices that I haven’t mentioned yet. These include the circuit court judge, district court judge, and prosecuting attorney. Add in the county clerk, county treasurer, registrar of deeds, county surveyor, and my favorite, county drain commissioner, and you’ve got quite a collection.
The signs that piqued my interest the most were for the sheriff. I suspect most people in this country have no idea who their county sheriff is. That’s probably because the rest of government has grown so much that the sheriff is an afterthought. But as a long historical account from Mackinac County reveals, sheriffs were rather significant as the face of government. Perhaps even worthy of a sign.