Governor Rick Snyder has made some moves that indicate he is interested in running for President, but Michigan Public Radio Network Capitol Bureau Chief Rick Pluta says for now some critical things are missing from a serious bid for the White House.
Pluta says Republican sources have been saying for a while that Snyder is interested in running for President. Last week the governor announced plans to travel around the country to "tell Michigan's story." But Pluta says he hasn't gone to the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where a strong showing is necessary for a serious campaign.
Pluta says any run for President by Snyder would be "a long shot." But there's no downside in Snyder getting his name out there. Pluta says it could lead to being selected as a running mate for another Republican candidate or to a cabinet position if a Republican (other than himself) is elected President next year.
WMUK's Gordon Evans spoke with Rick Pluta about other political matters. They discussed House Speaker Kevin Cotter's decision to ban Plainwell Representative Cindy Gamrat from House Republican Caucus meetings. Pluta says Gamrat posted some information on Facebook that came from House Republican Caucus meetings. Those meetings are supposed to be confidential, although Pluta says it's common for that rule to be broken. Gamrat denies that she has shared any sensitive information.
Gamrat is also running for one of Michigan's seats on the Republican National Committee. Pluta says it's hard to know if the ban from caucus meeting will help or hurt her chances. Pluta says it could play into a narrative that Gamrat is not a "team player." But he says the party base has shown an affection for Republicans who are willing to take on the establishment.
Next week the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the issue of same-sex marriage. Pluta will be in Washington D.C. to cover the hearing. He says a key technical question is what level of scrutiny it will apply to the state. Pluta says the state will argue for a low level of scrutiny, which says that the state had a "rational basis" for its voters to enact a ban on same-sex marriage ban. He says the challengers will want a higher level of scrutiny. Pluta says they will argue that same-sex couples are seeking the rights that every other couple has, and the state is denying those rights without a good reason.
