Stephen Henderson endorses Conyers "by default"

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Let me be straight: To me, John Conyers is a hero, someone whose consistent voice for fairness and equality helped shape the world I grew up in and live and work in now. But in recent years, his performance in Congress has become erratic at best and, in some ways, imperceptible. It's hard to even name his last big legislative win.
We're endorsing him today because of who he was, and because there's not an alternative sufficiently better to justify throwing over his seniority and still powerful voice on civil rights issues. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20120715/COL33/207150456

I'm curious what folks on here, especially my fellow 13th District residents, think about this race. Is Conyers vulnerable? If so, who is his biggest threat? In its endorsement, the Freep called Bert Johnson "probably Conyers' most formidable challenger," but some other reporting suggests that Glenn Anderson has a better shot. Is Henderson correct that none of the challengers are good enough to outweigh Conyers' record and seniority? I'm newly drawn into Conyers' district and still trying to decide how to vote, so I'm interested in people's opinions.

Wow what a tepid back-handing endorsement. Reminds me a C&W song line, "the girls all get prettier at closing time." That said it's Conyers' to lose.

You have to wonder about anyone who would marry Monica. Just because you've been around a long time doesn't mean you should be elected.

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Originally Posted by daddeeo

You have to wonder about anyone who would marry Monica. Just because you've been around a long time doesn't mean you should be elected.

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Conyers is in his 80s an like Rangel and others,don't know how to retire and over, let someone younger take over. He should start a foundation or non-prof.

hope and change.
they blindly endorse and vote for these thieves.

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Originally Posted by Horace

hope and change.
they blindly endorse and vote for these thieves.

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If you are talking about Conyers, then you don't know that to be the case

If you are talking about others then thats the subject for a different thread.

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Originally Posted by antongast

I'm curious what folks on here, especially my fellow 13th District residents, think about this race. Is Conyers vulnerable? If so, who is his biggest threat? In its endorsement, the Freep called Bert Johnson "probably Conyers' most formidable challenger," but some other reporting suggests that Glenn Anderson has a better shot. Is Henderson correct that none of the challengers are good enough to outweigh Conyers' record and seniority? I'm newly drawn into Conyers' district and still trying to decide how to vote, so I'm interested in people's opinions.

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I"m of the thinking that the seat is Conyers until he decides to retire.

Seniority trumps just about everything in Congress. Seniority equals power and influence. No matter how one feels about Conyers if you are going to replace him you better make sure its with someone who's really, really good or the district [[of which I am a part) will start all over again [[In terms of Congressional influence).

So while we may not be very happy with Conyers performance over the past few years, we have gone too far down the road with him to change now.

I'm curious as why the more senior [[literally) members in congress in Michigan have not started grooming successors.. they won't be there forever, and if illness or something else prompts retirement/resignation, it's going to be another free-for-all by the next cycle..

I'm wondering why they didn't just "not endorse" a candidate instead of this weak explanation.

Unfortunately the Judiciary Committee doesn't do Michigan a lot of good jobs wise... and even the Senate Armed Services Committee [[headed by Carl Levin) doesn't do "much" good. With the downsizing in the Defense Department, not much in the way of jobs that could be brought to Michigan... at least not in the same way that mainly southern committee chairmen brought jobs to southern states back in the mid 20th century, when Defense and Aerospace was a cash cow from Virginia to Texas....

Probably the best we got was the new VA Hospital in midtown... later named after John Dingell... after he was a lead sponsor...