This what democracy looks like?

Applicants are lining up to be appointed to the 15th District Court (city of Ann Arbor) judgeship recently vacated by Julie Creal. Why can't have a primary and then an election to fill this seat? That is what democracy looks like at least to me. Having the governor pick some partisan hack to fill the position isn't democracy. Any governor not just  Governor Snyder.

Why don't Ann Arborites vote in the city primary elections?

Ann Arbor.com editor Tony Dearing puts this rhetorical question to the readers of his blog post cum editorial today. The comments ought to be lively; or at least more interesting than usual and but for Ann Arbor.com's draconian comment censorship policy they would be downright fascinating; or at least fun to read.

This is an especially interesting question Dearing asks in that as a solidly Democrat dominated one-party town these primaries are the election. The Democrat who wins the primary easily blows over the token opposition put up by the enfeebled Republicans or the occasional odd-ball independent or write-in candidate in the November general election and then, that's that for the next two years.

weblog

Death of the 'McMansion': Era of Huge Homes Is Over - CNBC

Hand grenade found on roof of Detroit grocery store - Detroit Free Press

Probably a de-weaponized practice dummy, but who knows?

Why the Ann Arbor Chronicle doesn't endorse candidates - Ann Arbor Chronicle (Mary Morgan)

Not hard to understand. Morgan seems to be saying that the Chronicle would lose readership and ad revenue (because Ann Arborites are so partisan, spiteful and intolerant) and that they don't matter a tinker's damn anyhow. Morgan is right; they don't.

Rioting "punks" or brutal police? - Ann Arbor.com

You be the judge. Three camera phone video clips to look at. The AAPD is doing an "internal investigation."

How Badly Is Michigan Screwed? - Metro Times (W. Kim Heron)

"Michigan, once a world technological leader, will settle slowly into the ooze. We will become Mississippi with ice storms, or maybe Haiti without sugar cane." Whoa! That's bleak.

I finally learned something from that pompous blowhard Jack Lessenberry - Michigan Liberal.com

Albeit indirectly. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero is taking money from Ambassador Bridge owner & alleged slumlord Matty Maroun. Eww! Follow the links in the blog post to read the whole thing.

Sign of the times...

I for one am quite glad that the August 3rd primary election has come and past. And, given that the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw county area is solidly Democratic, there is no need to care about conventional politics any further for the next two years. The Democratic nominees are the overwhelming favorite to win in November (at least around here), and so my interest has flagged considerably. But that won't stop the assholes who do still follow this shit from posting to every article on politics at Ann Arbor.com, the Ann Arbor Chronicle, Ann Arbor Observer, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Metro-Times, and the Michigan Daily as if it the November elections were real horse races. But they aren't.

The Dems will win nearly everything, (at least around here), but not content with this favorable outcome the hotheaded progressive types will start a mud fight in the comments section following each conservative, libertarian, Green Party, or Republican comment. Not content with winning it all by big margins year after year they still try to maintain the illusion that competitive elections still exist. I guess this is their way of trying to shift the blame to the "other" even though Dems run everything here. Ann Arbor's mayor and city council are all Democrats, as are all but two on the county commission, and all members of the state house and senate from around here. And the school boards as well, although they are officially non-partisan. Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, ditto. So, go figure?

And so when the progressives bitch about how bad everything is in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Pittsfield Township and the rest of the county, who are they complaining about? The local Democratic Party cabal run and have run everything around here for a couple of decades now. So why are they still bitching? Who knows. Flame on progressives.