It has always been my contention that the history of any popular movement is rooted in the history of mass mobilization and organization.
If nothing else makes you, the cynic, find logic in this political fact, at least the 2008 presidential campaign of President Barack Obama is testament.
Rising with boldness, temerity and audacity, defying every form of conventional wisdom and traditional presidential political template, Obama began what was an improbable political journey in Springfield, Illinois, that landed him in the White House.
Because the man who would dare to stake a claim on the historic presidency was all along cast as the underdog of the presidential campaign. The smartest political thinkers in Washington had ruled out that the invincible political machine of Hillary Clinton would wipe the Obama campaign out on Super Tuesday.
They got the math wrong because theirs was a math that hinged its calculation on deep pockets and institutional support instead of a grassroots movement.
Even during our first sit-down interview at Cobo Hall in May of 2007, the future president of the United States made it clear he was the underdog of the presidential race. But he quickly reminded me during that conversation that he was in this race to win and would stick to it to the very end.
And so as Michigan Democrats faced with the specter of political misfortunes in a 2010 gubernatorial season where, shockingly, there is no clear leading Democratic contender, an underdog has emerged.
Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing is staking a claim on the governorship in a way that no other Democratic contender has so far.
He announced his run for governor on Feb 8 in three cities, including Detroit, because he has been touting the fact that reinvesting in cities are crucial to the economic revival of the state.
But anyone who has been following this underdog candidate will quickly realize that he’s been out pounding the political pavement well before he officially entered the race.
Whether it is on national television advocating for jobs in Michigan, rallying mayors of automotive cities around the country to demand support for the ailing auto industry in Washington or meeting with young Democrats in the Cass Corridor to talk about his plans, Bernero is pushing his case.
While other Democratic powerhouse candidates with so-called institutional support are waiting in the wings as directed by their political playbooks and at the urging of the soothsayers, Bernero is showing Michiganders the urgency of now.
Yet, this little known Lansing mayor may not be the favorite choice of the Almighty Democratic Party and their bosses, but like the Obama campaign, he stands to create a watershed in a Democratic movement that is hungry and thirsty for change.
The notion that we have a godfather-like political tradition that places premium importance on candidates with deep pockets who are strongly urged to come bearing gifts of frankincense and myrrh instead of a real desire for change among the people who are suffering the most is ridiculous.
Bernero’s critics and those who have yet to back him say his fast talking abilities make him less trustworthy. He sounds too convincing and his power of persuasion can often be overwhelming when listening to him rattle out his policy positions.
Maybe that’s because Democrats have not had a Bernero-like candidate in a while, who is not only ambitious but is showing he has some fire in his stomach. The kind of fire that some political observers, including myself, concluded a long time ago was lacking in a John Cherry candidacy.
During an appearance on my TV program last month, Bernero, showed he is keenly aware of the complex politics of institutional support incensed by the intricate battles for loyalty inside the Democratic corridors of power.
“We have elections, not coronations. I don’t worry about people at the top. My concern is for the people on Main Street. I am tired of people are the top coming first,” Bernero said in apparent reference to the Democratic Party.
One thing clear is that as Democrats wonder about who will be the clear frontrunner to challenge the Republican nominee, Bernero is continuing his campaign around the state talking to ordinary people, those often cut out of the political process.
The grassroots movement he is creating could be a shocker for the Democratic Party if the bosses place their support behind another candidate, whether it is House Speaker Andy Dilllon, who some sources indicate may run with mega-businesswoman Denise Ilitch as his running mate.
The fight for the Democratic primary nomination may boil down to a battle between the haves and the have-nots.
As mayor of a small city, Bernero is already painting himself as the ordinary people’s candidate which could gain momentum with the majority of Michiganders who have lost their jobs and have no income coming.
Some of those jobless workers’ children are unable to go to college today because lawmakers in Lansing decided to gut the Michigan Promise which ensured scholarships for some 90,000 students in the state, 3000 of whom were attending Wayne State University.
House Speaker Dillon, if he decides to enter the race, will have to explain what kind of stewardship he provided throughout the whole budget madness. He will have to tell the rest of Michigan, including Detroit, whether he can be trusted with the office of the governor.
Dillon may need more than just the label of being able to reach out to Republicans because some claim he is a closet Republican to get the party nomination.
If he decides to choose Denise Ilitch as his running mate, that will be an interesting political chemistry.
While some may find political sanity in an Ilitch candidacy because of her business background and work in Detroit, I’m not sure if Ilitch is ready to go through the kind of public scrutiny the gubernatorial ticket demands.
Her joining the ticket will undoubtedly bring attention to the Ilitch family’s business interest that the public may not have been privy to.
Former Republican nominee Dick DeVos knows this very well. He had to do a lot of explaining about some of the darkest secrets of his business empire, whether it was violations in nursing homes he and his family ran or claims that he shipped jobs to China.
While everyone is watching the Democratic dance, candidate Bernero is orchestrating a common sense strategy by making municipalities in Michigan – where the votes are – have a stake in the election.
He is taking his campaign to cities hardest hit by the economy.
“We have incredible needs in our cities. We have that in common all of our cities, Detroit, Lansing and Flint. Needs that could be addressed,” Bernero said. “That money (federal stimulus) three-fourths of it never made it out of the state capital. The money went through the governor, it went through the legislature instead of coming directly to mayors.”
He said cities know
where the potholes are and where the business incubation is needed.
“We need jobs for our people. This was an incredible opportunity to make some transformational differences in our cities. That wasn’t done,” Bernero said. “We got a few roads paved and that’s wonderful. But how good is a paved road if you don’t have a job to drive to?”
It is evident from Lansing that the business of the people is not getting done and that in an election season politicians are more concerned about reelection than reinstalling the Michigan Promise.
But the Democrats will have to find an answer if they are serious about maintaining the governorship. The bloodletting has just begun with Bernero’s candidacy.
Stay tuned.
Watch senior editor Bankole Thompson’s weekly show, “Center Stage,” on WADL TV 38, Saturdays at 1 p.m. This Saturday’s program, Feb. 13, will feature an in-depth interview with Sharon Lowery of the United Nations about the challenges of reconstruction in Haiti. After that, Republican Paul Welday and Democrat Bertram Marks will square off on the gubernatorial race, the governor’s State of the State Address and other hot button issues. E-mail bthompson@michronicle.com.