A slight rant. Well, not so slight.

This came from a comment I posted on Michigan Liberal. While it may be aimed at one person, I mean it to all local analysts for this state, and most papers. This is Michigan. We are Michiganians. Report. Opine. Discuss. And for the love of all that is holy I implore you to take a closer -- and more objective and nuanced -- look:


Look.

Plain and simple: Tim Skubick has a powerful voice as far as Michigan politics is concerned. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Who else got to really cover the MI Gov race? Who else was able to write a book about it?

Tim Skubick.

And he does no justice to the political and policy issues that affect Michiganians. Instead of reporting on the stalling tactics of the MI-GOP, he will write an editorial on why his "Did you murder Ricky Holland?" comment to the Governor was apropos. Instead of talking about filling the gap in the budget to the SBT, he'd rather take pot-shots against Michigan Liberal on MIRS.

He does a disservice to the people of Michigan, and betrays the (self-appointed) position that he represents.

You have NO idea how discouraging it is as a 16-18 year old Michiganian to have your only editorial content on Michigan politics to be represented by Tim Skubick.

You have NO idea how it is to be a member of the LGBT community when all Skubick can do is bash Granholm, even when Proposal 2 (2004) is affecting people just like me.

You have NO idea how it is to have a grandmother in the decaying east side neighborhood of Lansing -- when Tim Skubick sits in an ivory tower of downtown Lansing and a comfy home in Okemos -- while he brings on "business leaders" to talk with, and agree with, their positions that increasing tax revenue is a horrendous idea, while cutting the budget (police, fire, education) is implicitly a better alternative.

I don't care if he's a clown, or a caricature to us on the left. Tim Skubick betrays the people for whom he corresponds. He can talk all he wants about how deplorable it is to turn politics into a horserace... he still manages to only talk about it in terms of a horserace. The ballots were barely cast in '06 when Skubick decided to talk about candidates for 2010.

It's not about being unable to accept criticism. It's about telling a political "analyst" (and I mean that in the greatest shadow of the term) to stop jerking with people's lives and start talking about the lives that these policies represent.

Granholm -- to me -- has always represented the underdog. Even as a successful, savvy politician, she has stayed true to the people of Michigan. It comes with some sacrifice. The news isn't always rosy. But it's a damn world away from the ivory tower of people like Tim Skubick who make a living off of fear, sensationalism, and the corny books that he deigns to pen for a quick buck on the backs of born and bred Michiganians who hope and hold out for something better.

In these tough times, critique is warranted. His bullshit masqueraded as "analysis" is not. So he can crawl back into the hole from whence he came -- I really don't care. Get him off my LSJ, get him off my local TV, and get someone who is passionate about making a change. About building Michigan. About understanding Michigan. And not just about the day-to-day bull that is vomited across the Capitol floor.

That is what I want. And as it stands, Tim Skubick is in no way a part of that vision. He is no better than a leech who sucks off whatever news item that may make him relevant. There need be no carpetbaggers in Michigan -- whether you were born here or not. Be a part of the solution, or stand at the sidelines, booing and hissing like the Tim Skubicks of the world. It does nobody one iota of good.

I've spoken my peace and I stand by it. I stand by Michigan. I stand by my hometown. I don't stand with the transient representatives that we choose to elect. And the Skubicks of the world better damn well remember that.